Expect a thousand more
by JungleDrum
Summary: Who is Meredith's new neighbour and why is he so mysterious?
1. The arrival

**Disclaimer : I own nothing. Greys Anatomy belongs to Shonda Rhimes.**

**Author's note : Hi everyone! This is my new story! Thanks for all the support for "Hit the heartbrakes", it means so much!!!**

**Couple of things first:**

**-Meredith is an only child and Ellis Grey is not a cold-hearted woman. She's a regular mom bit still an amazing and renowed surgeon.(I know, hard to imagine)**

**I hope you like it. Enjoy and don't forget to review. Tell me what you think. Next chapter will be longer. :-)**

**The story title is from the song "Calling you" by Blue October (check out the lyrics, they're amazing).**

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Meredith unlocked the door to her house and walked in, followed by Izzie and Cristina. All three women were carrying a suitcase and sporting a deep tan, thanks to the Cuban sun. Meredith closed her eyes and breathed in the familiar scent of her hallway.

"Feels good to be home", said Izzie as she dropped her baggage in the hallway and stretched her arms.

"Got that right, I'm starving!", grumbled Cristina as she let go of her suitcase and speedwalked to the refridgirator.

Meredith giggled.

_It does feel good to be home_, she thought. Home being the immense mansion Meredith's mother had given her when the older woman had moved to a bigger house with her new husband. The green-eyed woman went took the stairs and entered her bedroom. There, she put her luggage in a corner and let herself fall on her bed. She put her hands behind her hands and stared at the ceiling.

_What a crazy week._

The three women had decided to go to Cuba for a week to celebrate the end of their first year of residency and to get away from the fast-paced medical world.

It had been a great idea.

The three doctors had spent six nights partying, drinking and flirting, especially flirting. Cuban men, bold and romantic had been a well-needed distraction from Mathew, Meredith's former boyfriend. She had broken up with him just before taking leaving for the trip. During the four months they had been dating, he had quckly become the center of her world. Mathew was the kind of person who demanded a great deal of attention. He was needy and depressive while Meredith wanted someone handsome and sure of himself. She needed an alpha male, for a change. Unfortunately for her, the alpha males she entered in contact with had the tendency to become arrogant and controlling.

_That's definitely not what I need._

Meredith got up from her bed and changed in a white tank top and grey black yoga pants.

"Mer! Come here now!", Meredith heard her blond roommate yell. She quickly descended the stairs and joined Izzie and Cristina in front of the living room window.

"What? What is it?", Meredith inquired. Her two friends were intenstly staring at the house across the residential street.

_What are they staring at?_

Meredith squinted her eyes, trying to figure out what was so interesting about that house.

That's when she noticed it.

"Hey, where did that 'for sale' sign go?", she asked. "It was there when we left for Cuba."

"I think we have a new neighbour", annouced Cristina.

"What?!", Meredith exclaimed with a quizzical expression. "This house has been empty for what, two weeks? How did this happen so fast?"

"I have no idea. But what I do know is our neighbour is hot. Very hot.", Izzie said with lust in her voice.

"How do you know that?", Cristina asked, turning her face towards Izzie.

"Look!", the blond woman said, pointing with her left index to a tall man with light brown hair getting out of a car.

Cristina nodded her head with as a sign of approuval.

"I concur. Very hot. Not as hot as Owen but still."

Meredith tilted her head, analyzing the man's body.

"Yeah, he's kind of cute b-"

Meredith wanted to finish her sentence but her brain wouldn't let her. It was much too occupied, concentrating on the other man coming out of the house to greet the first one. Tall, dark and handsome, exactly like she liked them.

"This one is much hotter.", Meredith finally let out with a sigh. The two other women abandonned the first man to stare at the dark-haired one.

"Oh shit! I think they say us!", Mereidth exclaimed, noticing the first man looking at their windows and pointing to his friend.

The three women stood in front of the window, not knowing what to do.

"Guys, we should wave.", Izzie suggested with a crisped smile. "Wave and smile."

"Good idea.", quickly said Cristina.

They waved at the men, in a desperate attempt to look normal in front of their new neighbours. The two men smiled and waved back.

"Who are they?", asked Cristina.

"And how'd they manage to buy the house so fast?", added Izzie.

"I don't know but I think we're about to find out.", Meredith answered, her eyes wide open in disbelief, as she watched both men cross the street.

_Who the hell are they?_

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Derek Sheperd looked around the living room of the house he was going to be staying in for a while. It was vast, with antique furniture and big windows. It smelled like old people but still, it was a nice house.

_Sure beats that last place I was staying in, _the blue-eyed man thought.

Suddenly, he heard a car pulled up in front of the house. He went to the window and saw, Mark's tall body emerge from the vehicule. Derek got out of the house to greet his best friend.

"Shep! How's the house?", asked Mark, while shaking Derek's extended hand.

"Good, good. Its a nice place.", Derek replied.

"Did you read the papers I emailed you?", Mark inquired.

"Yep, I memorized everything.", answered Derek.

Mark turned his attention towards the house across the street.

"Hey look, we have an audience", he announced confidently, pointing to the three women staring at them behind a window.

Derek followed Mark's regard and noticed the women waving at them. He instantly recognized them.

_Cristina Yang, Isobel Stevens and Meredith Grey._

Both men smiled and waved back.

"Come on.", Mark said. "You're going to act like a good neighbour and say hi."

Derek followed his friend across the street, his eyes fixated on the woman with dirty blond hair and the small figure.

_This is going to be interesting._


	2. Nice to meet you

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. Grey's Anatomy belongs to Shonda Rhimes.**

**Author's note : Hi!!**

**Wow! Thank you all so much for the feedback! There was a lot of giggling and smiling while reading them. It's really appreciated. **

**Enjoy and don't forget to leave a review. :-)**

**Excuse the typos!**

* * *

"They're coming here?!", asked Izzie with a hint of excitment in her voice.

The Asian woman looked at her and squinted her eyes.

"Izzie! I can almost see the foam coming out of your mouth". Cristina scolded. "Stop looking at the man like he's a piece of meat. They're going to think we're weird."

Izzie glanced at her friend and scoffed.

"If only Owen could see the way you were eye-sexing him..."

"There was no eye-sex!", Cristina retorted.

Meredith watched as both men crossed the street, oblivious to the bantering. She could not shake the feeling that something wasn't right, something was off. The fact that , the woman who had lived in that house had moved into a home only two weeks ago and that, already, someone had moved in was odd, to say the least. Her eyes wandered on Derek's . He stood tall, with an athletic built and strong arms. She loved strong arms. The feeling of big, muscular arms wrapped around her waist was something that could not easily be topped.

_Mer, why are you staring at him? Stop staring!_

She caught his gaze but quickly looked down and moved away from the window. She didn't want him to think she was staring him, even though that's exactly what she was doing. Meredith looked over at Izzie and remarked she was silently devouering the man with light brown hair, while Cristina had moved towards the entrance to open the door.

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Derek followed Mark to the house on the other side of the street.

_It's all good._

Everything was going according to plan. The house was nice and the neighbourhood was quiet. All he had to do was stay focused. Focused on his goal. He looked up and noticed Meredith watching. She instantly looked away when she met his eyes and disappeared from his view. The more he approached the house, the sexier she was becoming. He had been told she was an attractive young lady but clearly, that description was an understatement.

"I think that blonde chick is into me.", Mark said. "She's torrid."

Derek shook his head and his the corner of his mouth curled up into a smile. If there was one thing Mark Sloan enjoyed, it was women. Tall, short, blonde, brunette, slim or curvy. It didn't matter. As long as they were «torrid», as he liked to call them and ready to have a good time.

They ran up the small set of steps and reached the front door.

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Cristina opened the door to reveal the men coming up the stairs. Meredith and Izzie approached the entrance and stood next to their friend.

"Hi.", Cristina greeted. "Can we help you?"

Derek cleared his throat and stepped forward. He briefly met Meredith's gaze before speaking. The way her green eyes stood out again her tanned skin was simply mesmerizing.

"Yes, my name is Derek Scott, I'm your new neighbour.", he replied, attempting to sound as friendly and «neighbourly» as possible. He was trying to stay focused on the task at hand but he was blown away by Meredith's radiance. She was even prettier up close, if that was even possible. "This is-"

"Mark. Mark Smith, nice to meet you.", the light-haired man interrupted while flashing a teethy smirk at Izzie.

"I'm Izzie. This is Cristina and Meredith.", She said, pointing to her friends.

"Hi.", Meredith greeted with a coy smile.

"Would you like to come in for a second", Izzie asked, visibly engulfed in the man's blue eyes.

_What?! What is wrong with her? This is exactly how people get killed in horror movies!_

Meredith groaned inwardly. She did not feel comfortable with two strangers entering her home. Derek slightly furrowed his brows, seeing the discomfort on Meredith's face.

She quickly glanced a Cristina who didn't seem to mind the idea.

"Sure, we'd love to.", Mark replied, giving his friend a pat on the back.

Cristina and Meredith stepped aside to let them in while Izzie led the way.

Derek and Mark sat on the mocha colored couch while Izzie, Meredith and Cristina were seated in front of them on a couch of the same colour. Each man was the contrast of the other. Mark sat comfortably, mouth grinning, his posture completely relaxed, eyeing Izzie seductively. Derek, on the other hand had his hands thighly clasped together, looking around to get a feel of the house.

_These windows can be easily opened_, he noted.

Meredith gave a furtive glance at the man sitting across from her. His stumbled jaw and wild raven hair only multiplied the masculinity he exuded. He looked like a confident man. Someone who took charge instead of staying behind. Her eyes traveled from his face to his hands.

_No ring on his left hand. Interesting._

"So, you too live moved in together?", Izzie queried.

"No.", Derek replied, "I moved in alone. Mark is my best friend. He helped my with boxes and furniture."

_That's odd. Who moves into a enourmous house alone? He must be loaded or something, _Meredith thought, slightly tilting her head.

"Oh.", Izzie responded.

"But I live nearby". Mark casually added, his eyes fixated on the blonde woman. She flickered her tongue across her lips and returned his sensual gaze.

"How'd you move in so fast? I mean the house went on sale only two weeks ago.", Cristina inquired at Derek.

He shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

"I don't know. I saw the house and I instantly fell in love with.", he smiled.

"What do you do for a living?", Cristina inquired again at the men. Derek was taken aback by the woman's staightforwardness but tried not to let it show.

"We work from home in finances.", Derek collectedly answered.

"Yep, financial stuff.", Mark added, scratching his neatly groomed beard.

"Cool.", Cristina simply said.

"How about you?", Mark asked,

"We work together. We're are all surgical residents.", Cristina replied, putting a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Right. I heard Seattle Grace was a top notch hospital.", Derek remarked, not realizing what the mistake he had just made.

Quizzical expressions appeared on each woman's face.

_How did he know that?!, Meredith wondered._

"How'd you know we worked at Seattle Gace?", Meredith questioned.

Derek looked over to Mark, who had tensed up.

"Yes Derek, how did you know were they worked?" he asked, in an uncomfortable manner which none of the women seemed to notice.

_Oh Shit! i have to think of something. Fast!_

"I...umm..just assumed since Seattle Grace is the closest hospital around.", He finally replied, with a convincing smile.

"Oh right!", Izzie said in an amused tone, seemingly content with his explanation. "It's the second best surgical program in the country."

Derek let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding. It had been close. Way too close.

Meredith silently listened to the conversation.

_That was weird. Seattle Grace is not the only hospital around here...How could he have guessed?_

Derek couldn't help but notice how quiet Meredith was being. He was wondering what was going through her mind; what kind of impression was he giving. She was smiling earlier and had given him eye contact.

_That's not so bad for a first encounter_, he thought.

The loud ringing of the home phone put a stop to the conversation.

"I'll get it.", Crstina said, walking away to grap the phone on the coffee table near the couch.

"Hello.", she said the person on the other end of the line.

"Yeah, hold on.", She flatly replied after a few second. "Mer, it's Mathew. Again."

Meredith sighed and got on her feet.

_Why won't he leave me alone? I broke up with him! _

"You'll have to excuse me.", she said to the men. She made her way to the phone, hoping to keep the conversation as short as possible.

"No , it's fine. We have to go anyway.", Mark said, standing up.

"It was very nice to meet you, ladies.", Derek said, imitating his friend's action.

"Yeah, nice to meet you too", Cristina said.

"You're welcome back anytime.", Izzie smiled, leading them to the door.

"I might actually take you up on that, Izzie.", Mark teased, giving a subtle wink to the giggling blonde.

"Bye Meredith.", Derek said a little louder, trying to catch her attention.

Meredith who an exasperated expression softened her face at the sound of Derek's voice. She put her hand over the handset and forced a smile.

"Bye, it was nice to meet you."

Izzie opened the door and the men left the house.

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Derek followed Mark out of the house, already expecting what was to come.

"I know what you're going to say.", Derek sighed.

"Well, I'm going to say it anyway.", Mark scolded. "What the fuck is wrong with you, Shep? You cannot make mistakes like that! You have to remember you're not supposed to know anything about them. Nothing. "

"I know.". Derek did not argue because, frankly, Mark was right. He had fucked up and had almost compromised them. It could not happen again.

They crossed the street.

"At least they bought your explanation."

"Yeah."

"Look, I know she's hot and it might be distracting but we have to focus, alright?"

"Right."

Meredith's beauty had definitely caught him off guard but he wouldn't let it affect him.

They arrived to the house and Derek unlocked the door to let Mark in.

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Izzie closed the door, smiling wildly.

"What?", Cristina asked in an amused tone.

"Mark Smith, what a man!", she sighed.

Meredith hung up the phone and joined her friends who had gone back to the sofa.

"What did he want?", Izzie asked.

"He says he wants me back and he can't live without me.", she said, annoyed. "I don't know how to get through to him."

"Ignore him and he'll get it eventually, I guess.", Cristina shrugged.

"I hope so."

"What'd you think about our new neighbour, Mer?", Izzie inquired.

"He and his friend are nice."

Noticing Izzie and Cristina's incredilous expression, Meredith sighed.

"Okay! They were hot. Hotter than the guys we flirted with in Cuba.", she relunctantly admitted.

"Hey, I did not flirt with anybody."' Cristina exclaimed indignantly.

"Yes we know. You have your troubled G.I. Joe to take care of.", Izzie said dramatically. "But seriously Mer, I saw the way he was eyeing you."

"And I saw the way his friend was eyeing you.", Meredith smiled.

"Oh, yeah, he totally wants me.", she casually replied.

Meredith giggled. Derek Scott sure was an interesting character but just like she had thought before, something was off about him and she did not know what. Still, she felt a certain attraction towards him. She didn't know if it was the fact that he was the polar opposite of Mathew or perhaps, the excitement of knowing he was only seconds way. And maybe Izzie was right. Maybe he felt the same attraction.

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**Can you guess who Derek Sheperd might be****? :-)**


	3. Every breath you take

**Disclaimer : I own nothing. Grey's Anatomy belongs to Shonda Rhimes.**

**Author's note : Hi!! Thanks a bunch for reading/reviewing last chapter! I hope you'll like this one. Sorry if this chapter's a little shorter. :-) **

**Chapter title is a song by The Police**

**Enjoy and leave a review (it makes me super happy! :-D)**

* * *

She took one last look in the mirror before leaving for the hospital. Her face looked like it still needed an hour or two of sleep but, unfortunately for Meredith, bailing on her first day of her third year of residency was not an option. Besides, she missed the energy emerging from the O.R, the rush of having a scalpel in her hand. So yes, she was tired, but also excited.

"Meredith, are you coming?", yelled Cristina from the living room.

"I'll be right there!", she yelled back. She turned off the light and made her way downstairs.

When she arrived to the first floor, she noticed Izzie and Cristina were waiting for inside her car.

Meredith stretched as she stepped outside. It was still somewhat dark, which was expected at four in the morning. The streetlights were still on and the neigbourhood was earily quiet. She locked the door and moved towards the car. Right before getting inside the driver seat, she glanced at the house across the street.

_Hmm. The lights on the second floor are on. Why would Derek Scott be up at four? Maybe he's just a morning person._

She got inside her car and drove off, not giving it a second thought.

Had Meredith stayed just a minute more, she might have seen Derek's face peeking out of the blinds, watching over her.

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"How are things going?", Derek asked, his cell phone pressed against his ear. He was sitting at the edge of his new bed, one of the few pieces of furniture inside the room. A single green pillow, a white sheet and a black comforter were neatly placed on the mattress.

"Everything went fine. Mrs. Grey and the husband are at work and it's been quiet for some time now. I'm alone with the housekeeping staff. You?", Mark casually replied from the other end of the line.

"Same. They just left for work and I called Mike earlier; he's at the hospital. He had the I.D. card and the uniform so he'll completely blend in."

"Good. When do they get off work?", Mark asked.

"At nine. Mike will call me when they leave.", Derek answered.

"And what was the delicious Izzie wearing this morning?", he asked with curiosity.

"Goodbye Mark.", Derek chuckled before hanging up.

He walked over to the window and slighty parted the blinds so he could observe the street. He noticed Meredith's car was not parked in front of the house anymore.

He took out his cellphone once again and dialed a familiar number.

"Mike, the car just left. Go downstairs near the main entrance, they should be there in 25 minutes."

"Okay, I'll call you later.", Mike replied.

Derek put his cellphone back into his jeans pocket. His favorite jeans. His sisters had bought them for him in a desperate attempt at initiating him to fashion. Derek Sheperd was simple man. The latest trends and the hottest designers mattered very little to him. Nevertheless, he loved those jeans. Not because they were designed by Marc Jacobs but because everytime he wore them, it reminded him of how much he loved his four sisters.

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Meredith, Izzie and Cristina walked inside the hospital, smiling and laughing. Today was the day they'd finally go back to work. Of course, they had only been gone for a week but surgery was like a drug to them and the residents were definitely in withdrawal. They arrived in front of the elevator and Cristina pressed the button. A red-headed nurse was waiting not too far from the lift as well as as a tall, greying man in a janitor uniform.

"Mer, I almost forgot. Yesterday, Mrs. Patton asked me to tell you something!", Izzie exclaimed.

"What? We've only been back for day! What does she want from me?", sighed Meredith, sensing she might not like what her friend had to say.

The elevator doors opened and all five people stepped inside.

"Remember her neighbourhood watch thing? Well, it's your turn tonight.", Izzie replied.

"What?! Why me?", Meredith whined. Even though she had a short shift today, she knew for a fact she'd be exhausted at the end of it.

"Because she said so. You know how annoying she gets when people don't obey her precious rules. ", Izzie mocked. "She'll drive you crazy if you don't do it. Besides, you owe her for that time she agreed not to call the cops on you after you ran outside naked."

"Izzie!", she hissed, as the nurse gave her a disapproving stare. "I was not in my right state of mind at that moment."

"You were completely wasted!", Cristina said in an amused tone. "Good times."

"Okay, fine.", Meredith resigned. "But I can't go alone."

"Of course not, you'll be paired up with Mr. Jones.", Izzie replied. "He'll be waiting for you at nine thirty in front of the house."

The doors opened and all its occupants except for the nurse got out. The three residents walked in direction of their lounge. Unberknowst to them, a janitor, the same one they had just shared an elevator ride with was following them, closely listening to their conversation.

"Wow! A tiny woman and an old, overweight man. That'll surely scare away all the burglars away!.", she said with sarcasm.

"Mer, all you have to do is walk around the block once or twice and call the cops if you anything 'll be over before you know it.", assured Izzie.

Meredith sighed as they entered resident's lounge to prepare for the day.

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The janitor walked away from the lounge while taking his cellphone and dialing a number.

"Mike, what's going on?", Derek said from the other end of the line.

"Nothing much, I just thought you should know something. Grey has to do some sort of neighbourhood watch tonight with a certain Mr. Jones. He'll be waiting in front of her house at nine thirty."

_She is not making this easy for me!_

"Alright, thanks for the heads-up, I'll take care of it."

Mike put the cellphone back in his pocket. He took out a cloth from his other pocket and started cleaning a glass door nearby the lounge.

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Derek glanced at his watch before crossing the street.

_10h57_

He walked on the pathway leading to the Pattons' front door. He rang the bell and waited for someone to come.

"Can I help you?", a slender middle-aged woman with a deep Southern accent said as she opened the door.

"Yes. My name is Derek Scott, I moved in yesterday.", he answered, pointing to his house.

"I'm Irene Patton, nice to meet you.", Mrs. Patton replied as she extended his hand. Derek shook it and smiled.

"Nice to meet you too. I actually came here because of the neighbourhood watch. I heard some people talking about it."

"Yes, I started it a couple years ago.", she explained. "I had to do something, the crime rates in this city are ridiculous!"

"What a great initiative.", Derek complimented. The older woman giggled, shaking her brown locks."I wanted to know if I could help out."

"Really?", she said, her smile growing wider. "I'll put you on the list then, ."

_On the list? That's not good enough._

"Well, Mrs. Patton, I was wondering if I could do it tonight.", he requested, flashing on of his dreamy smiles."You see, it would give me a chance to get aquainted with the area."

The woman seemed to think about for a second of two before speaking.

"It's not really the way I do things but I'll make an exception just for you.", she said, putting her hand on his arm.

_Is she hitting on me?, _he thought, raising an eyebrow at her touch.

"Mr. Jones was supposed to do it but I'll call him to cancel. You'll be paired with Meredith Grey, she lives right there.", replied, pointing to the house next to hers. "Be there at nine thirty."

"Thank you very much, .", he replied, once again giving her one of his famous smiles.

"No, thank you, Mr. Scott.". She gave him a wink and closed the door.

_She was definitely hitting on me,_ he thought as he walked back to his house.


	4. Back at your door

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**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, Grey's Anatomy belongs to Shonda Rhimes.**

**Author's note : Hi people!!!**

**I'm so so so sorry for not updating sooner! I have been catching up on my homeworks/studies this week. Next chapter will be up Saturday, at the latest. Thank you so much for the reviews! I love reading all the guesses! **

**Enjoy this one and leave a review!!**

**Chapter title is a song by Maroon 5.****

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"Are you coming home? I'm done here.", Meredith asked Cristina who was scribbling notes on a chart. They were both leaning on the nurse' station counter.

"No, I have to finish this chart and then Owen is taking me to dinner.", she replied, concentrated on her work.

"And will there be some "Welcome back from Cuba" sex?", the blonde asked with a mischevious smile.

Cristina looked up and smile.

"That's the plan. I need to release the tension."

Meredith giggled. Ever since Cristina and Owen had been dating, it seemed like the only thing they did was talk medicine and have sex.

"What about Iz?"

"She's scrubbing in on a liver transplant with . I don't know when she'll get off.", the Asian woman replied.

"Okay then, I'm going home to do this crapy neighbourhood watch thing", Meredith mopped. All she wanted was to go home, have a hot bath and a pint of ice cream but she knew it was impossible. There was no avoiding it.

"Have fun with Mr. Jones !", giggled Cristina.

"Haha!", sarcastically responded Meredith. "By the way, I expect a full report of your date with Owen."

"Will do and I expect a full report of your exciting night with Mr. Jones.", Cristina mocked, her eyes back on the chart.

Meredith chuckled as she walked away. Even though her evening was not going to be as fun as she would have wanted it, she still had a great day. She had scrubbed in on two surgeries and had a nice lunchtime with the four other members of her Seattle Grace family. And perhaps, once or twice her head had been briefly occupied by Derek Scott. Yesterday's meeting with him and his friend was still on her mind. Meredith had been wondering a million things about this man.

After taking the elevator, she arrived on the first floor and made her way to her car in the parking lot. Before entering her vehicle, she glanced at her watch.

_9h_

_Good, I'm gonna be right on time._

She got inside and drove off. Thirty minutes later, when she arrived at her house, she didn't notice him right away.

Meredith stepped out and closed. She walked towards her house and that's when she saw Derek, sitting on her front door steps. She halted and eyed him suspisciously.

_What is he doing here? And where is Mr. Jones?_

Derek was finishing a tuna sandwich in front of the television when his cellphone rang. He picked it up and answered.

"Hey Mike.", Derek greeted, comfortably seated in a black three seat sofa.

"Hey. Grey just left the hospital. Stevens and Yang are still working."

"Good, did anything happen?"

"Nope, nothing at all. She had two surgeries and a bunch of patients to check up on. The usual.". Mike answered.

"Okay, thanks Mike. I'll talk to you tommorow."

"No problem, Shep."

Derek put cell phone back on the table and gulped down the remaining of his orange juice.

_Time to go!_

Derek didn't now why but he was strangely excited about spending time with Meredith. He had barely talked to her but he could tell if they were in other circumstances, she'd be the kind of woman he would date. He already knew a lot about her from all the information he had gathered but still, he felt like there was so much more he wanted to know. Unfortunately, he couldn't let himself be distracted. He had a job to do and Derek Sheperd was set on doing it properly.

He put his right foot on the table and lifted his jeans to reveal a leg holster. He grabbed his gun, next to his cellphone on the table. He doubled-checked to make sure the security was in place before placing it carefully inside the holster.

Derek got out of his house and crossed the street.

_She's not here yet, _he noticed.

He sat on the steps and waited. It did not take long before he heard a car pull up in front of the house. He saw Meredith come out of her car and walk towards him. He instantly noticed the question mark on her face when she became aware of his presence.

"Mr. Scott? Can I help you?", Meredith asked, uncomfortable. His blue eyes were piercing. He looked at her as though he could see right through her. It was intimitading, but also very attractive.

Derek got up and smiled.

"Please, call me Derek.", he replied.

"Alright, Derek.", she chuckled. This man was something else. Just a minute ago, she had felt intimitated by his stare and now, all she could see in his eyes was warmth and sweetness.

He loved the way his name sounded when she said it.

"I'm doing the neighbourhood watch with you tonight. Mr. Jones make it so Mrs. Patton asked me to replace him.", he said, hoping she'd believe his lie.

_Me and him? Walking side by side in search of burglars and criminals? This is going to be so awkward!_

"Alright.", she resigned. She was slightly taken aback by the situation. She had to admit, however that being with Derek was better than and his constant bible preachings. Way better. "Would you mind if I just ran upstairs to change?"

"Not at all.", he relied, flashing a smile.

She walked inside her house and ran upstairs. When she got to her room, she exchanged her white shirt and black trousers for a long-sleeved green sweater and dark jeans.

_You can do this Mer. It's only going to be what? Half an hour? It probably won't even be that awkward., _she thought trying to see the bright side of the situation. Meredith descended the stairs in a hurry. She was about to walk ou the front door when her cellphone buzzed from her jean pocket. She picked it up without checking who was calling.

"Hello?", she greeted.

"Meredith? It's me. We need to talk."

_Oh my god! What part of «we're over» doesn't he get?_

"We don't need to talk. It's over.", she coldly said as she stepped outside. Derek, who was waiting for near the steps looked up and furrowed his brows.

_Who is she talking to?_

"But Mer-"

"No Mathew, good-bye.", she angrily said as she hung up. She locked the door and approached Derek.

"Sorry about that.", she apologized.

"Don't be sorry. Is everything okay?", he asked. He knew Mathew was her boyfriend but he had no idea they had broke up.

"It's fine. Just my ex-boyfriend who won't leave me alone.", she shrugged as they started walking. "He's bound to get it eventually."

_I wouldn't leave such a beautiful woman alone either, _he thought but refrained himself from saying it outloud. He had to keep things clean and professional.

"Why did you break up? If you don't mind me asking of course.". Derek was surprised no one had informed him of this.

_Must've been recent._

"No, it's fine". Meredith had this strange feeling. Like she could completely trust this man, even though she had known him for only two days. "We dated for a couple months. Everything was great but he started getting needy and very depressive. I don't know what happened. I only know I wanted to get out if this relationship as soon as possible so I left him."

"It must've been hard.", he said empathically.

They arrived at an intersection and turned left.

"Do you see anything weird around here?", she asked, subtly changing the subject. She didn't want to talk about Mathew anymore.

"Nope, this neighbourhood is uncharacteristically quiet.", Derek chuckled. He glanced at her and noticed she was shivering.

"You're cold.", he said matter-of-factly while taking off he's jacket. She saw him and immidiately shook her head.

"No, you don't have to!", she said in vain. She giggled as she watch him blatantly ignore her and put the jacket around her slim shoulders.

"Thank you.", she whispered.

"You're welcome.", he replied.

Meredith discretly snuggled against the warm fabric and inhaled his scent. The piece of clothing smelled like his cologne; masculine but not too strong.

They continued walking around the neighbourhood while slowly but surely getting to know each other.

* * *

**So now, I'm pretty sure some of you (if not all) have figured out Derek's occupation. Next chapter will be the rest of the night!**


	5. A crush

**Disclaimer : I own nothing. Grey's Anatomy belongs to Shonda Rhimes**

**Author's note : Hi!!!**

**Thank you for reading/reviewing last chapter! Things are moving along a bit. Enjoy this one and don't forget to leave a review( I love reviews :-D)!**

**

* * *

**

After circling around the neighbourhood for thirty minutes, it was time for Meredith and Derek to part ways. They arrived to her house and stood face to face, on the porch.

"I hope tonight wasn't too boring.", Meredith said. "There was absolutely nothing out of the ordinary."

"It doesn't matter,", Derek shrugged. "I had a great time with you."

Meredith smiled. She had a great time as well. They had gotten to know each other a bit better, and she was certain she wanted to know more.

_I can't believe I was ever intimitated by him!_

The man who had seemed so intimitading before, now appeared to be sweet and funny.

"I had a great time too."

"Derek!", called a man from across the street. Both heads turned towards the street to see Mark. He was leaning against his car, arms crossed and a smirk on his face.

"I have to go.", he relunctantly said. If it had been up to him. they would've stayed here, on this porch for hours. He felt so comfortable, so alive in her presence. It was one thing to know someone from a file but it was another to actually interact with them. Derek could definitely feel the difference.

"Good night.", she whispered, taking the key out of her jean pocket to unlock the door.

"Good night.", he replied before walking away to join his friend.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Derek crossed the street to greet Mark, who was now standing close to the front door of his house.

_I wonder what's going on? We were only supposed to meet tommorow._

"Hey Mark, what's going on?", Derek asked his best friend as they shook hands.

"Did I interrupt something?", he asked in an amused tone. "You seemed busy."

"Yes, busy doing my job!", Derek replied, followed with an eye roll. He unlocked and opened the door.

"Why is it that you've got the young, single one and I'm left with the married mom?", Mark whined as he sat on the couch. He took off his jacket while Derek sat on the other couch, in front of Mark.

"Speaking of Mrs. Grey, how was today?"

"Nothing much to say. She went to the hospital, as usual. How about you? Seems like you were having a good time with Little Grey.", Mark smiled.

"Little Grey?", asked Derek quizically.

"That's how I differenciate the two of them. Big Grey and Little Grey.", Mark casually replied.

"Anyway, it went well. ", Derek chuckled. "She was supposed to do this neighbourhood watch thing, which was completely useless since apparently, this area is the most quiet place on earth. I couldn't let her go alone, obviously so I went with her."

"And?"

"And nothing. We talked. We laughed. The end.", Derek said.

"You like her.", Mark observed. "Don't even try to deny it.".

Of course Derek liked. A lot. But he wouldn't admit it because he shouldn't like. He shouldn't like the way her hair smelled or the way her brows furrowed when she was thinking.

"Shut up! Why are you here anyway?", Derek questioned, diverting the conversation.

"I came because there are new developpements to the case. You remember Maria Esteban?"

"Yes, the daughter of Marco Esteban, the cardiothoracic surgeon. What about her? Did she finally wake up?", Derek asked, hopeful.

"Yes, a few hours ago. The surgery went well. Mike got her deposition but it doesn't say much.", Mark sighed as he handed Derek the file he was holding. The dark-haired man opened it and and schemed through the single-paged document. After a few minutes, he sighed and dropped the file on the table.

"It doesn't say much indeed. Basically, she doesn't remember anything. She didn't see her attacker and she didn't recognize his voice."

Mark passed a hand through his light colored hair.

"I know but we still have our suspect number one, Greg Miller."

"Who is conveniently missing!", Derek sarcastically said. Things were not looking good. How could one possibly conduct an investigation when the witnesses couldn't remember important details and when the number one suspect was missing?

"How long is she staying at the hospital?", Derek asked.

"Two weeks. I asked the Bureau to increase the security around her room. You never know, he might come back to finish what he started."

"Good, that's good.", he said absent-mindly because something outside had caught his attention. From where he was seated, Derek could see Meredith's house from across the street. He saw her standing in the entrance, talking to a man.

"Shep, what is it?", Mark asked, noticing his friend was intensly staring at the window.

"She's talking to someone.", he said as he stood up. He approached the window and then it became clearer.

_They're not talking, they're arguing!_

He could see Meredith move her arms angrily while Izzie was standing next to her, her arms crossed.

"Who is this guy?", Mark said, who was now standing in front of the window as well.

"I don't know but we better go check it out.", Derek said.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Meredith closed the front door and turn the light on. She made her way to the kitchen and noticed Izzie's purse on a chair.

_Weird. Isn't she supposed to be in surgery?_

"Izzie? Are you home?!", she yelled. Seconds later, she heard footsteps descend the stairs.

"Yes, I am.", Izzie said as she entered the kitchen. She instantly frowned at the sight of her friend, who was sitting at the table.

"Aren't supposed to be at the hospital for a surgery?", Meredith asked.

"The surgery was called off.", Izzie quickly said. "Mer, what are you wearing?"

Meredith furrowed her brows and looked down on her body.

_Oh crap, Derek's jacket! I forgot to give it back._

"Oh, that's Derek's jacket.", Meredith said, attempting to sound casual. She took it off and place on the table.

"Who's Dere-You mean Derek Scott, the new neighbour?", Izzie exclaimed as she took a seat in front of Meredith.

_Oh no, she's totally going to make a big deal about this!_

"You know I was supposed to do the neighbourhood watch with Mr. Jones, right?"

"Right."

"Well, he had to cancel so Mrs. Patton asked Derek to replace him.", Meredith shrugged.

"Really?", Izzie enthusiastically said, widening her eyes.

"Yes, really!",Meredith giggled." I was cold so he gave me his jacket but I forgot to give it back."

"Aww! He's such a gentleman. How did it go? Was it awkward?", Izzie inquired, her elbows on the table and both hands cupping her face.

Meredith's small smile turned into a toothy grin.

"It was great. We talk about where we were raised, our jobs, what we like....There was not one awkward silence."

"Did you kiss?"

"What? No! I barely know the guy!", Meredith exclaimed.

"But you would've like to kiss him. Honey, I can see it in your eyes.", Izzie stated with a bright smile.

There was no point in hiding it. Izzie was one of the people who knew Meredith by heart.

Meredith was about to say something when the doorbell was heard.

"Are you expecting someone?", Izzie asked.

"Nope.", Meredith replied. She walked to the door followed by Izzie. When she opened the door, the person who was behind it made her roll her eyes and sigh.

"Mathew.", she coldly greeted. "What are you doing here?"

The blond man smiled and stepped forward. He tried to grab her hand but she quickly back away.

"You won't return my calls. Mer, I can't live without you.", he said, saddened because she wouldn't let him touch her.

"Dude, you're pathetic. She broke with you. It's over.", Izzie said, exasperated. She crossed her arms and eyed him with pity.

"Mind your own business, bitch.", Mathew retorked, giving Izzie a dirty look. That was the straw that broke the camel's back. Meredith felt the anger spread throughout her body.

"I've had enough of you, you asshole!", yelled Meredith, looking up to her ex-boyfriend who was taller than her by a good five inches. She angrily passed her both hands through her hair. "You don't get to call her a bitch. I've told you countless times, we're through!"

"But Mer, we need to talk about this!", the green-eyed man pleaded.

Suddenly, Meredith saw Derek and Mark coming out of the house across the street.


	6. Startling discovery

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. Grey's Anatomy belongs to Shonda Rhimes.**

**Author's note: Hello!!!**

**Thank you so much for reading/reviewing last chapter!! Enjoy this one and don't forget to review! :-)))**

* * *

By the time Meredith looked again, Mark and Derek were already in front of her house, near the stairs. As Derek approached, he recognized who Meredith was arguing with.

_That's Mathew, her ex-boyfriend!_

"Meredith, Izzie. Is everything okay?", Derek asked, coldly eyeing Mathew.

"Who the hell are you? Is that your new boyfriend, Mer? You've already replaced me?!", Mathew asked, before any of the ladies could answer.

"Yes, I'm her boyfriend and I'm telling you to leave before I lose my temper.", Derek replied, struggling to appear calm.

Meredith widened her eyes and glanced at Izzie who seemed more interested in devouring Mark with her eyes than worrying about the current situation.

_Maybe if Mathew thinks I'm dating Derek, he'll leave me alone._

Derek tensed up and balled up his fists. If he had his way, he would take out the gun he had hiddden under his pants and scare the hell of out Mathew with it. However, he knew better. He knew it would ruin everything and put a lot of people in danger. So instead, he put those thoughts away and calmed himself down.

"You should leave before we call the cops.", Mark suggested, letting Izzie out of his sight for a second to stare at Mathew.

Derek laguhed inwardly at Mark's statement.

_We are the cops!_

"But Meredith!", Mathew begged. "Don't shut me out. He doesn't love you the way I do."

He, once again attempted to touch her but this time, Derek ascended the steps and put himself between Meredith and Mathew.

"Leave before I hurt you.", he said, putting a protective arm around Meredith's shoulders while she instinctively snaked her arm around his waist. They both appeared to be a couple in love, which Meredith didn't really mind. Neither did Derek.

Mathew and Derek stared at each other for what seemed to be an eternity before the blond man lowered his gaze and walked away. Meredith sighed. Frankly, her ex-boyfriend's attemps were getting more and more desperate and if Derek hadn't arrived, she didn't know how she ever would've gotten rid of Mathew.

"Thank you. I'm not sure he got the message but, thanks.", she said, putting her hand on Derek's forearm.

"You're welcome.", he whispered. He took her and gently squeezed it. She shivered at his touch.

"Yes, thanks for everything, guys.", Izzie added, still hypnotized by Mark's presence.

"I'm right across the street if you need anything. Don't hesitate."

_It's my job, after all._

"I'll remember that.", she smiled, before closing the door after Izzie.

* * *

"That guy is a nutcase.", Mark stated as they reached the other side of the street.

"Tell me about it!", Derek sighed. "Why is this woman's life so complicated? Crazy ex, neighbourhood watch..."

They walked inside the house.

"Right, Mr. Boyfriend." Mark joked as he picked up his jacket on the couch.

"What? I said that so he would go away. That's all."

"Mhmm.", was Mark reply. It was obvious he didn't believe a word of it. "Anyway, I have to go. I'm leaving you with the files, maybe you'll find a clue or something."

"Okay. I'll see you tommorow, at Mrs. Grey's house.", Derek said as he shook his best friend's hand.

"Alright."

Derek sat back on the couch as he watched Mark walk out the door. He sighed and took the file in his hand. The victim, Maria Esteban was only 15 years old. She had been beated almost to death and her face was unrecigniseable. Just like the first victim, Anna Lee.

_We have to catch this piece of shit._

Derek got up and walked towards the window. He was going to be more careful, more protective. He couldn't let something like this happen to Meredith. Never. He went to his kitchen and prepared some coffee. He was going to need all the energy he could get because it was going to be a long night, spent going over the investigation while closely watching over Meredith's house.

* * *

"Have I ever told you your ex is a nutcase?", Izzie asked, walking towards the kitchen.

"Thanks for pointing it out, I hadn't noticed", Meredith replied with sarcasm. She followed Izzie and returned to where she was previously seated.

"And I can't believe Derek told him he was your boyfriend. Interesting.", Izzie said with amusement as she sat down next to Meredith.

"What do you mean, «interesting»? There's nothing «interesting». He did so Mathew would leave us alone.", Meredith replied defensively. That's why he did it and she knew it. Nonetheless, it felt nice to hear him say it.

"Right.", Izzie said, completely unconvinced.

"I'm surprised you're even aware of what happened with the way you were eye-sexing Mark!"

"How could I not? This man is sex.", Izzie replied matter-of-factly.

Once again, their conversation was interrupted, not by the doorbell but by a sound. The sound of the front door opening and closing.

_Must be Cristina._

"Cristina? We're in the kitchen!", Meredith yelled. The Asian woman appeared a mintue later in the kitchen and plopped on the chair in front of Izzie.

"What are you doing home? Shouldn't you be having «welcome back» sex with G.I. Joe.?", Izzie asked.

Cristina let out a heavy sigh before responding.

"I was, actually! But he got paged for a trauma. Right when it was getting interesting. I hate traumas."

"No Cristina, you love traumas.", Meredith corrected.

"You're right, I do.", Cristina replied. She slighty lifted her slim body off of the chair, suddenly realizing she was sitting on something. She held up the piece of clothing and examined it. "What's that?"

_Oh no, Dereks jacket! I forgot to give it back. Again._

"That's Derek's jacket.", Meredith sighed, taking it from her hand.

"Derek?", Cristina repeated with a quizzical expression.

"Derek Scott, the new neighbour.", Izzie said.

"Why was I sitting on his jacket?", Cristina asked, narrowing her eyes.

"We did the neighbourhood watch together. Long story.". Meredith breathed, noticing Izzie's sly smile.

"What?", Meredith asked.

"I wonder what's in his pockets."

A smile appeared on Cristina's face and she quickly took the jacket from Meredith's hands.

"No, we're not checking his pockets!", Meredith exclaimed,vehemently nodding her head. "We don't snoop."

"Yes we do. I go through Owen's stuff all the time.", Cristina shrugged.

"I used to go through Alex's stuff too. I learned a lot from it.", Izzie confirmed.

"But this is different, I barely know him!"

"Who cares? I know you Mer, you're dying to know.", Cristina replied. She stared Meredith down until the green-eyed woman had no choice but to accept.

"Fine, go ahead."

Cristin laid the jacket on the table and put her hand in one pocket while Izzie digged in the other. Meredith watched, curious to see what they would discover. She knew it was wrong but as Cristina stated, she was dying to know. They often say that you can get to know a woman based on what she carries in her purse, maybe the same was true for a man's pockets.

"An old receipt for shampoo and a piece of gum. That's it.", Izzie said, as she lined up the items on the table. "How about you Cristina?"

"Candy wrapping and two pennies." she said. "That's al-wait! There's something inside."

"What? Inside where?", Meredith inquired.

"There's a hole inside his pocket.", Cristina stated.

"What's in it?!", urged Izzie.

"Could you just hold on! I'm trying to stick my finger inside."' Cristina hissed. She twisted and turned her fingers until she finally got a hold of the small object.

Both women eagerly waited as she pulled it out of the hole and held it to the light.

"What the hell?", exclaimed Izzie.

Meredith's face fell as she realized what her friend was holding.

"That's a....that's a bullet."


	7. This cannot be good

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. Grey's Anatomy belongs to Shonda Rhimes.**

**Author's note: Hi!! I've been swamped with school and work for the past two weeks so sorry for not updating sooner. But now, the storm has past so I'll update more frequently. Next update will be here in two days. :-)**

**Thanks for reading/reviewing! I really appreciate it.**

**Enjoy this chapter and leave a review! :-)**

* * *

"What?!", Izzie and Cristina exclaimed simultaniously. Izzie shakingly let the bullet drop on the table.

"This can't be good. This cannot be good. Guys, this is not good. At all.", Izzie said.

"Why is there a bullet in his pocket?", Cristina asked, eyes widened.

The kitchen instantly filled with silence as the three women tried to find a good enough as to why would there be a bullet in Derek Scott's jacket.

"Maybe it's a souvenir? You know, like a bullet from the war?", Meredith advanced with a cruel lack of conviction. Izzie and Cristina's mirrored their insatisfaction with this explanation.

"If you had a souvenir from a war, wouldn't you put it somewhere safe? ", Izzie replied.

Meredith sighed, defeated.

"What if he's a killer? Or a criminal? Criminals always have bullets!", Cristina exclaimed.

"Cristina, come on!", Meredith sighed.

"Don't Cristina me! We know nothing about this man. Nothing at all.", Cristina retorked, her eyes fixated onthe bullet. "So, yes, for all we know he could be a serial killer."

_A criminal? That's impossbile. Derek is so sweet. There's no way a serial killer can be that sweet, right?_

Meredith buried her face in her hands and exhaled deeply. Poor girl never had much luck with men. Liars, cheaters, depressed, she had been through them all.

_I meet one guy, one good guy and turns out he's a serial killer! If that's not fate's way of telling me, I'm meant to be alone forever, then I don't know what it is._

"Mer, I think it's best if you stay away from him. He sounds like bad news.", Izzie advised, squeezing Meredith's hand.

"I second that.", nodded Cristina as she took the bullet and put it back in the jacket. "Give him back the jacket tommorow and then, we're all going to stay away from him and his friend. Deal?"

"Fine, I promise.", Meredith said. They were right, she knew nothing about him and she had to stay away from him, even though she liked him. A lot.

Later that night, Meredith laid awake in the darkness of her bedroom, trying to make sense of what had happened. She was torn.

_Maybe I should tell him about it. He probably has a perfectly good explanation for it._

No, it was best to avoid him. Meredith watched the news, she knew criminals and psychopaths were real and looked like ordinary people. People like Derek. As she slowly drifted off to sleep, Meredith thought about what the conversation with Cristina and Izzie and reminded herself that they were right. She had to stay away.

* * *

It was eleven o'clock when Meredith finally caught a break. She had been treating patients in the clinic since five forty and her feet were killing her already. On top of that, she hadn't slept much the previous night. The name «Derek Scott» had been on her mind most of the night. She bought a chicken sandwich at the cafeteria and made her to a table where Izzie, Cristina, Alex and George were already seated.

"Hey guys.", she greeted as she sat down between George and Cristina.

"How was that neighbourhood watch thing? Did you catch any bad guys?", Alex asked Meredith with amusement.

"Not funny.", Meredith replied with a blank stare."It was fine. We walked around the block and talked."

"Izzie told us what you found in his jacket. You're not going to see him again, right?", George admitted.

Cristina and Izzie furrowed their brows at Meredith's hesitation.

"Mer!", Izzie exclaimed.

"What? I said I wasn't going to see him again. I'll give him his jacket and we'll be done.", Meredith replied defensively.

She was deternined to fight the attraction she felt for Derek and stay away from him.

"Good.", Cristina replied, satisfied."The same goes for you, Iz. I saw the way you were looking at his friend, For all we kow, he could be a criminal too."

"Of co-Sure.", the blonde stuttered. "That's what I was going to do anyway, no need to tell me."

The whole table stared at Izzie skeptically.

"I said I was going to stay away.", she sighed, rolling her eyes. "I promise."

Suddenly, Meredith's cellphone rang. She took it from her purse and looked at the caller I.D.

"That's my mom.", she smiled. Her friends kept on talking while she brought the cellphone to her ear and answered.

* * *

Derek took the key out of the ignition and got out of his car, parked in front of Ellis Grey's residence. He walked up the front door and rang the bell. Derek stiffled a yawn while waiting for the door to open. He had spent the whole night in front of his window, carefully watching for anything out of the ordinary near Meredith's house. He loved his job, but he had to admit it could get tiring sometimes. He knew, however that he doing for the right reasons. To help the people that needed to be helped. Like Meredith. He was there to help her, to protect her from the danger she had no idea was so close.

The housekeeper opened the door and greeted him.

"Mr. Sheperd, good morning.", she said, as she stepped aside to let him in.

"Good morning", Derek politely replied.

"Mrs. Grey and Mr. Sloan are waiting for you in the living room.", she informed as she closed the door. Derek followed her to the living room where he found Meredith's mother and Mark seated across from each other.

"'Mr. Sheperd.", Ellis said as she got up to shake his hand."Thank you for coming."

"Don't mention it. ", he replied with a bright smile.

"Please, have a seat.", she urged. He took off his jacket and sat next to Mark.

"Mark.", Derek greeted his best friend.

"Derek, ", Mark said. "How was the rest of the night?"

"Uneventful. She went to work this morning and Mike is with her at the hospital.", he responded.

"I'm glad my little girl is fine. I worry so much with everything that's happened.", Ellis said with a hint of sadness.

"Don't worry, Mrs Grey, we're doing everything we can.", Mark reassured,

"I know, thank you.", she whispered. "I just don't want what happened to those poor young women to happen to Meredith."

_Me neither. I would kill anyone who would ever try to harm her._

"I promise, we will keep her safe.", Derek said with sincerity. Ellis nodded and smiled.

"You know what? I'm going to call her now. Just to make sure she's okay. Do you mind?"

"Not at all.", Mark and Derek replied at the same time.

Ellis grabbed the cordless phone on the coffee table and dialed her daughter's number.

She put the phone to her ear and waited for a familiar voice to answer.

* * *

"Hi mom!", Meredith answered brightly. She hadn't heard from her mom in a couple of days and it was always good to hear her voice.

"How's my favorite resident?", Ellis asked sweetly.

"Great. How's my favorite Chief of surgery? Is Mercy West treating you well?", Meredith responded in th sane tone.

"Always! I was calling to hear your voice, honey. Are you sure everything's okay?"

Meredith frowned.

"Of course, why are you asking?"

"Worrying about you is my job, you know.", Ellis chuckled.

"Well, don't worry mom, I'm fine. Okay?"

"Okay. I have to go now. I'll talk to you later. I love you."

"Love you too."


	8. Distractions

**Disclaimer : I own nothing. Grey's Anatomy belongs to Shonda Rhimes.**

**Author's note : Hi!!!**

**I'm a little late, sorry for that. This chapter is longer than I thought it would be so I hope you enjoy. Thank you every much for reviewing and reading.**

**Don't forget to leave a review. I love reviews! :-)**

* * *

Meredith put her phone back on the table and smiled. She had always had a great relationship with her mother. They always could talk about anything openly.

"You know what I never understood, Mer?", asked Cristina while taking a bite out of her sandwich. "Why didn't you apply at Mercy West?"

"Yeah Mer, your mom is the freaking Chief!", Alex exclaimed. "You'd be scrubbing in on all the cool surgeries!"

"That's exactly what I don't want! I don't want all the «cool sugeries» given to me solely on the fact that I'm Ellis Grey's daughter." Meredith answered, rolling her eyes.

She had been asked this question so many times before. Meredith loved her mother dearly but working under her was a bad idea. She wanted to prove to herself and everyone else that she could succeed without having to use her well-placed connections.

"It's your loss.", Cristina shrugged. "You could've been a part of that awesome surgery your mom performed two weeks ago."

"What do you mean, «awesome»? Didn't the patient die?.", Alex inquired.

"That's irrelevant. It was still an awesome surgery. I mean, imagine this : Scrubbing in with four world-renowed surgeons on an inoperable cancer. That's heaven.", George said, eyes glazing with admiration.

Meredith's pager put an end to the conversation. She gulped down the rest of her apple juice and got up.

"See you later.", she said before walking away from the table. Once again, Meredith and the gang had lunch without noticing a certain janitor seating a few tables away, watching over them.

* * *

Mark and Derek watched as Ellis put the phone down and sighed.

"Is Meredith alright?", Derek asked.

"Yes she is. I just don't like lying to her.", Ellis whispered.

Derek could hear the sadness in her voice. He knew it was hard for Ellis but it was also for the best.

"I know it's hard but it truly is for the best.", Maek said, trying to recomfort her.

"What is for the best?", a familiar voice asked. It belonged to a tall gray-haired man with warm hazelnut eyes.

"Henry.", she smiled.

Ellis got up and gave a kiss to her husband, who had made his way to the living room. He then, approached Mark and Derek and shook their hand.

"We were talking about Meredith, .", she explained as he took a seat on the sofa, next to her.

"What about her? Is she okay?", he asked, worried. He took her hand between his and tightly held on to it.

"She's fine. I was just telling Mr. Sheperd and Mr. Sloan how much I hate lying to my daughter."

"Ellis, you know Meredith. She is just starting her second year of residency and she needs to stay focused. You know she would be worried sick if she knew was in danger. "

"And that's all my fault! I never should've agreed to do this surgery. It was too risky. Now, look at what happened: Helena Miller died and her father went crazy and now he's trying to get vengence. ", Ellis said, holding back her tears.

"Mrs. Grey, this is not your fault.", Derek said in soft tone. "All you and your team tried to do is help a woman who had a cancer so advanced, no surgeon wanted to try. But you did. "

Derek couldn't help but feel for her. Ellis Grey had to be the most generous and caring doctor he had ever met. To him, it was no wonder she had raised such an amazing daughter.

"I tried and I failed. We were four world-renowed surgeons and we failed. Now, we have all have to fear for our lives, for our families."

"Honey, listen to me." Henry demanded, looking right through her emerald colored eyes. "Don't ever think this is on you. It's not. Derek and Mark, along with the FBI are doing everything they can to catch this maniac. Everything will be okay."

Ellis embraced her husband, closed her eyes and exhaled deeply.

* * *

After a long day at work, Meredith, Izzie and Cristina finally returned home. Cristina went to take a nap upstairs while Izzie and Meredith sat down in the living room.

"I'm so glad this day is over!", Izzie declared as she streched her arms on the couch.

"Me too.", Meredith giggled.

Izzie grabbed te remote and turned the channel to watch the news. Meredith was indeed glad to be home, though she missed the distraction of work. Even since she had been paged earlier, she hadn't had much time to think about Derek and she liked it that way. Now, she couldn't even focus on the news. At the though if him, it suddenly dawned on her.

"I have to give him back is jacket.", she blurted out.

With everything that had happened with Mathew last night, and the discovery they had made, she had completely forgotten to give it back.

"Oh right, the jacket.", Izzie gasped. "The bullet's back into the pocket, right?"

"Yeah, it is."

"Then, let's go. The sooner you give it back, the sooner you can stop thinking about him.", the blonde said as she stood on her feet.

"I'm not thinking about him.", Meredith fussed defensively.

_How does she know I'm thinking about him? Am I really this obvious?_

"Mer.", she scoffed. "You're such a bad liar."

Meredith's lips curled up into a smile. Lying to Izzie was always futile.

"Fine, you're right. Let's just get this over with.", Meredith declared.

"I'll come with you, for moral support.", Izzie proposed.

Meredith went to the kitchen and took the jacket who had stayed on the chair overnight. The two women left the house and crossed the street. As Meredith approached the ouse, her heart started beating faster. And faster. She didn't know how to face him. One day, Derek is the cute neighbour who recently moved in, and now he's a potential criminal.

Meredith knew what she had to do. When they arrive to the front door, Izzie rang the bell and they waited.

* * *

Derek was sitting on his couch in the living room of his house, going over the police report with Mark. They had finished updating Ellis Grey on the case and left. Derek felt as though the couple needed to be alone. This case was hard on them, hard on everybody. Mark, who was carefully reading a document, suddenly raised his eyes to look at his best friend, who had sighed heavily.

"What's wrong?", he asked, noticing how angry Derek seemed to be.

"I want to kill this guy. He disgusts me. I know he's depressed because his daughter died on the operating table. I know that, But that doesn't give him the right to target the families of the surgeons who operated on her. They had nothing to do with this. Meredith has nothing to do with this.", Derek ranted in a long tirade.

"I know, he disgusts me too. That's why we're going to catch him before he tries to hurt someone else.", Mark asserted. "At least we're making progress."

"Yeah, you're right.", Derek replied.

_At least Meredith is safe._

They tried to concentrate on their reports but were once again, distracted. This time, by a knock on the front door.

The two men exchanged a look, asking each other without words who could be at the door.

Derek stood from the couch and walked to the entrance, wondering who could it possibly be.

* * *

When Derek opened the door, surprise mixed with confusion appeared in his eyes.

_What are they doing here?_

"Meredith, Izzie. Is something wrong?", he asked.

"Ye-yeah, everything's fine.", Meredith stuttered, which earned her a furtive glare from Izzie. It was a fact. When Meredith Grey was nervous, she instantly became the worst liar in the world.

"Well come in.", he said, stepping aside so they could enter.

_She's acting weird. Why is she acting weird?_

The two women exchanged a worried look before entering the house, which did not go unnoticed by Derek.

Mark who was previously seated on the couch, had moved towards the front door.

"Hello there.", he smiled.

Izzie and Meredith simultaneously nodded in return. It's only then that Derek noticed his jacket in her hands.

"Oh, you came to give it back.", he assumed, pointing to what Meredith was holding.

"Erm, yes. You..erm..forgot it last night.", she said, avoiding looking into his eyes. She was desperately trying to appear calm and collected. But it was hard, especially when Derek and Mark could be serial killers, criminals or worse. Unfortnately for Meredith and Izzie, Derek was an FBI agent and could, therefore easily tell when someone was nervous or hiding something. And from what Derek could tell, she definitely was. Meredith handed the jacket to him and it grabbed it. While doing that, Derek's hand brushed against hers and she instantly pulled away.

"Meredith, can I talk to you outside?", he urged. Something was wrong. He did not know what it was but he needed to find out.

_Oh God. Why does he want to talk to me alone? Maybe he knows I found the bullet. Shit!_

"Iz, I'll be right back.", Meredith said to her friend. Izzie nodded and gave her a crisped smile while Mark crossed his arms, seemingly confused about what had just happpened.

Derek opened the door and led the way outside.

* * *

Izzie stood near the entrance and hugged her waist. Mark, who was standing a coupe of feet away from her, gave her a bright smile.

"Nice weather today, huh?", he started.

"Erm..yeah..it's nice and hot.", she breathed, fixated on his blue eyes.

"Do you have any idea of what they could be talking about?", he asked, slowly walking towards her.

"No, I don't.", she responded nervously, backing away at the same pace Mark was approaching her. "Do you?"

"I have no idea.", murmured Mark with desire, as he finally closed the space between them.

Izzie stopped trying to back away because her back was now litterally against the wall. She inhaled quickly as his fingers caressed her face and made their way along her neck. She could feel his breath on her face and the heat radiating from his body. Mark slightly tilted his head and lowered his mouth her at her level and pressed his lips against hers. When she showed no sign of resistance, Mark skilfully slipped his tounge into her mouth. She closed her eyes and took his head between her hand while Mark's hands moved from the base of her neck to her slim waist.

* * *

Derek closed the door and turned around to face Meredith.

"Meredith, what's wrong?", he asked, worried.

"No-nothing's wrong. Why are you asking?", she said, again avoiding his regard.

_What does he want from me?!_

She, once more was lying and Derek didn't understand why. Last night, she was friendly and now, she acted cold and distant. He didn't what had happened between yesterday and today to create such a big change in her behavior towards him. Things were going so well.

"I'm asking because you seem tense.", he replied, studying her face.

"I'm telling you nothing's wrong.", she snapped. She tried to walk past to get Izzie but his strong hold on her forearm stopped her. Whe she turned round to ask him to let go, she was greeted by his mouth on hers.


	9. Don't stop

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. Grey's Anatomy belongs to Shonda Rhimes.**

**Author's note: Hi!! Thanks for reading/reviewing last chapter! Enjoy this one and don't forget to leave a review.**

* * *

Derek loosened the grip he had on her arm and instead, cupped her face. Meredith widened her eyes in shock. She knew she should get away from him but it was too hard. His lips were too soft and his touch felt way to good. She put both hands on his chest and leaned forward to deepen the kiss. The contact of their tongue sent shivers through their spines

_What am I doing? What the hell am I doing?!_, Derek thought as he encircled her tongue with his.

There was line. A very important line that was never to cross and right now, Derek was crossing it. He knew he should not get emotionally involved in a case like these but he couldn't help it. Meredith Grey was simply mesmerizing. He couldn't get enough of the smell of her hair or the taste of her lips. She was pulling away from him and he couldn't stomach it. He had seen the nervousness and the fear in her eyes and Derek hated it.

Meredith was going through a plethora of emotions.

She was scared because she knew of potentially dangerous Derek could be. But under that fear, there was excitement. She had never been kissed like this before and the fact that she shouldn't be doing it was making it even more pleasurable. But, as good as it felt, she had to get away.

_Meredith, get ahold of yourself! I have to stop this. Now!_

She abruptly broke their contact and backed away from Derek, who was now confused and breathless.

"Meredith, I'm sorry I-"

"I-I shouldn't be here with you. I have t-to go.", she stuttered as fire made its way to her cheeks. She wanted to be as far away as possible from him.

"What do you mean? Did I do something wrong?", he pleaded. He desperately needed to know what she was thinking, what she was so scared of.

"I need to go.", she said, avoiding his eyes. She bypassed him to get inside the house.

_Why did he have to kiss me? Now, everything's gonna be so complicated. How am I supposed to stay away?_

* * *

Positioned between him and the wall, she purred.

"We really shouldn't be doing this.", Izzie panted as Mark devoured her neck.

"Why is that?", he murmured in between two kisses. He placed his right hand on the wall while the other sneaked under her shirt and slowly went up to her breasts.

"They could come....come back...any minute now.", she continued. Her words contradicted her actions. Instead of pulling away from him, she was leaning into him, welcoming his caresses.

Before Mark could reply to Izzie, the door creaked, signaling someone was about to enter. In a matter of seconds, Mark backed away from Izzie, on the other side of the room.

* * *

Meredith walked inside the house and immediately sensed the tension in the air. Her eyes went back and forth between Mark and Izzie, who seemed awkward and out of breath.

_What happened in here?_

Derek followed and stood near the door, holding his jacket in his hands. He replayed what had just happened in his mind.

_Why is she so closed-off, so scared?_

She was leaving and there was nothing he could. She didn't want to tell him what was going on and it killed him.

"Iz, we're going.", Meredith urged, eager to leave the house.

Izzie shared a lustful glance with Mark before moving near the entrance. Meredith avoided Derek's regard at all cost. The two men watched as the women walked away, without looking back.

* * *

_Oh, what did I do? What the hell did I do?!, _thought Meredith as entered the house. Izzie closed the door and they went to back were they had been previously seated, the couch.

"What's wrong? You seem weird.", Izzie inquired.

"I'm totally fine.", Meredith frowned." You're the one who seems weird. What happened while I was talking to Derek?"

"Nothing.", Izzie quickly replied. A little too quickly." What about you? What did he want to talk to you about?"

"Nothing, nothing at all. I'm great.", Meredith said, faking a smile.

Suddenly, Cristina appeared at the bottom of the stairs. Her disheveled hair and wrinkly clothes showed she had been sleeping.

"What's going on?", she grumbled, rubbing her eyes. "Whoever slammed the front door woke me up."

Cristina stretched her arms made her her way to the other couch, in front of Meredith and Izzie. She eyed them suspiciously, seemingly aware that something was going on.

"So, what happened? Where were you?", the Asian woman asked impatiently.

"N-nothing. We were at Derek's. I gave him back his jacket.", Meredith stammered. She hated the way Cristina was looking at her in this moment. Like she could see right through her lie.

Cristina's eyes shifted from Meredith to Izzie. Specifically Izzie's neck.

"What's that?", Cristina wondered, scrunching up her nose.

"What's what?", nervously replied Izzie.

Meredith closely studied the blonde's neck and notice the redness all over her skin.

"Izzie, why do you have a hickey on your neck?"

"You didn't have one the last time I saw you, which was twenty minutes ago.", added Cristina.

"I don't you what you're talking about.", Izzie exclaimed defensively.

"Iz, just spit it out.", Cristin sighed.

"Alright", she surrendered. "I kind of made out with.....Mark."

"You did what?!", Cristina gasped.

"It's not my fault! We were talking about the weather and two seconds later, his tongue was down my throat.", Izzie, explained.

"You were kissing Mark while I was outside with Derek?", Meredith asked.

_I knew something was going on with then when I saw them together._

"Why were you outside with Derek?", Cristina wondered, now turning her attention to Meredith who was not expecting this shift in the conversation.

"Me? We were just t-talking.", she explained, hoping they wouldn't ask anymore questions.

"You're lying", Izzie stated, furrowing her brows. "Why?"

"Wait a minute.....you kissed Derek!", Cristina accused.

Meredith lowered her eyes and blushed.

"While I was kissing Mark.....you were kissing Derek?!", Izzie realized.

"Kind of.", Meredith coyly whispered.

Crstina abruptly stood up, and started pacing in front of them.

"What the hell is wrong with you two?!"

Meredith and Izzie looked down, like two children being reprimanded by their mother.

"Did we not discuss this?", Cristina scolded, crossing her arms. "They could be dangerous!"

Meredith knew Cristina was right. Of course she was right. She never should've left Derek kiss her and she definitely should not have liked it. Yet, she did and now, not thinking about him was impossible.

Cristina sat back down on the couch and passed a hand through her long locks.

"You know what? I'm gonna call Owen and ask him to spend the night here. I don't feel safe and neither should you."

"Do you really think it's necessary?", Izzie asked. "Mark and Derek seem so nice. How could they be criminals?"

"Well, Ted Bundy was very charming. That didn't stop him from being serial killer, did it?", Cristina retorted.

"Iz, Cristina's right. They could be dangerous.", said Meredith. While Cristina called Owen, Meredith, still on the couch thought about how crazy this day had been. Never, had she thought she'd be kissing Derek Scott. Even though she knew Cristina was right but still, something was off. She had looked into Derek's eyes and couldn't see an ounce of malice. His blue eyes were so warm and inviting. How could he possibly be a criminal?

* * *

**Meredith is going to find out about Derek soon....... :-)**


	10. Time is running out

**Disclaimer : I own nothing. Grey's anatomy belongs to Shonda Rhimes.**

**Authors note : Hi!!! Thanks for reading /reviewing last chapter. in this one, things are definitely moving along. Thanks for being so patient. :-)**

**Enjoy and don't forget to leave a review.**

* * *

Derek sat, once again in his living going through reports and witness statements for something, anything he might have missed. The suspect, Greg Miller, was still on the loose which meant Meredith was still in danger. Two hours had passed since the kiss and the darkness had settled over the quiet neighbourhood. Mark had went home, not knowing what had happened between them. Derek didn't want to tell his best friend about that. It would only end in inappropriate jokes and mocking and that's not what he needed right now. But, one thing was for sure, he didn't regret what he had done. He knew he had crossed the line and still, he'd do it all over again.

"I wonder if she regrets the kiss", Derek thought outloud, as he passed a hand through his hair. He hope to God she didn't. Although she had left in a hurry, he could tell she had enjoyed the kiss too. But she was scared and he had to find out why.

_God, I need to concentrate on this case!_

Just as he was about to go back to his reading, Derek heard a car pull up across the street. He moved over to the window and saw the car, in front of Meredith's house. He then saw a tall red headed man come out and walk to the entrance. For a fraction of a second, he was on alert, not knowing who could be coming there at this hour. This feeling didn't last however, because he recognized who it was.

_Owen Hunt, Yang's boyfriend. He's probably there to see Cristina, _he shrugged.

He went back to the couch and continued revising the case.

After two hours minutes, Derek put the files away and sighed. He hadn't found anything that could help them figure out where Greg Milller was and who would he hurt next. There were four surgeons working on Helena Miller when she died on the table. Now, Maria Esteban, the daughter of the cardiothoracic had already been severely beaten, alost to death and no one knew which daughter would be next. Suddenly, a piercing scream from across the street made Derek's head shot up. He ran to the window and saw Meredith and Izzie upset, staring at something on the ground.

* * *

Meredith was sitting with Izzie and Cristina, in the living room, watching an open-heart surgery while waiting for Owen. Usually, she would be observing the surgeon's every move, trying to imagine herself operating on the patient. But not today. Today she was pensive and distracted. She was wondering what he was doing, just right across the street. What he was thinking about. It was still not adding up. He had saved her from Mathew, the other night. He had even pretented to be her boyfriend. Why would he do that if he wanted her any harm?

Meredith was suddenly awaked out of her thoughts by the doorbell. She looked over to her friends who were dilligently watching the video, meaning she was the one who was going to have to answer.

_Must be Owen._

Meredith relunctantly raised form her seat and went to the entrance. When she opened the door, she indeed found Owen behind it.

"Hey.", she greeted.

"Hi, Meredith.", he replied, giving her a kiss on the cheek. She scrunched up her nose when his red scubble made contact with her cheek. She led him to the living room, where he also greeted Izzie with a kiss on the cheek and Cristina with a peck on the mouth. He sat next to his girlfriend, while Meredith turned the television off.

"Thanks for coming, babe.", Cristina said as she put her head on her boyfriend's shoulder. Meredith smiled at the change in Cristina's behavior anytime Owen was around. She had no idea her friend could be this affectionate.

"That's what I'm here for, saving damsels in distress.", Owen smiled, encircling her shoulders with his arm. "So, Cristina told me everything. what are you going to do?"

"I don't know.", Izzie sighed. "I'm just scared of what kind of people tour dear neighbours could be."

"Yeah, who knows? They could be serial killers!", added Cristina.

"Well, you know what? I'm going to cook all of us something to eat and then, we can talk about it.", Owen decided, raising from his seat.

"Oh Owen, you are God-sent!", Meredith exclaimed, which made him laugh heartily as he left the room.

Two hours and a dinner later, Cristina and Owen had gone upstairs while Izzie had fallen asleep on the couch. Meredith was sitting next to her, attempting to watch the rest of the surgery. She was exhausted and was about to go to bed. As she got up, her cellphone buzzed. She picked it up from the coffee table and answered.

"Hello."

"Meredith Grey?", a deep masculine voice replied.

"Who is this?" she asked, alarmed.

"I left a little gift for you at the front door.", the man replied, before hanging up. Shivers went thtough her spine as she stood in the middle of the room, the phone still in her ear.

_What the fuck was that? _

She couldnt move. She couldn't do anything but wonder what was at the door and how the man on the phone knew she was home.

"Calm down Meredith, calm down.", she told herself. Quickly, she put the phone down and went over to Izzie.

"Iz, wake up!", she urged, franctically shaking her arm. It did not take long for the blonde to open her eyes.

"Mer? What...what is it?", confusedly said Izzie as she sat up.

"There was a weird man on the phone. He said he left something for me at the door! Iz, I'm scared."

"A man? What?", Izzie whispered.

"Just come with me.", Meredith sighed, taking her hand. Izzie stood up and together, they approached the door. Before opening Meredith hesitated. Who knows what could be behind the door. So, she took a deep breath and one hand still firmly holding Izzie's, she opened the door. She looked down on the porch and saw a little cardboard box. Letting go of Izzie's hand, she picked it up and looked around. There was not a soul outside.

"Ar-aren't you gonna open it?", Izzie asked, staring nervously at the box.

"Okay, I'm opening it.", Meredith said, shaking off the nerves. She took a deep breath and opened the box. What they found inside left them screaming in shock and horror.

* * *

Derek ran out of house and crossed the street to reach Meredith and Izzie. He had no idea what was going on, but it sounded serious. When he finally got to them, their paleness and schocked expression worried him.

"What's going on?! I heard you guys scream from my house.", Derek exclaimed, completely clueless.

Meredith handed him the box wordlessly.

_How ironic?, _as she watched Derek's expression change into comple disgust._ Five minutes ago I was watching an open freacking heart surgery and I get scared half to death by heart in a box._

"Meredith, where did you get this?", Derek asked, closing the box and placing it near the steps.

"I-I don't know. A man called me on my phone saying he had left a gift for me at the door.", she said, still a bit shaked up.

"W-we opened the door and we found this.", Izzie added, pointing to the box.

_Anonymous phone call? Box at the front door? That looks like what Greg Miller would do. He's on to her._

At this moment, Cristina and Owen rushed to the door.

"We heard screaming.", Cristina said, as her attention turned to Derek. "What's going on?"

"We found a box with a human heart in it.", Izzie answered, still eyeing it.

"What?!", Owen exclaimed, holding Cristina close to him. "Who would do that?"

"You all need to get out of here.", Derek warned. "It's too dangerous now."

This was it. Meredith needed to know the truth now that they knew for sure Miller was after her. He needed to take her somewhere safer.

"What are you talking about?", Owen said, putting himself between Derek and the girls.

"Derek, what's going on?", Meredith asked.

"Listen, we don't have time for this.", Derek replied, reaching into his pocket. He got out his identification and showed it to them.

"I'm an FBI agent and I'm telling you that we really need to get out of here.", Derek stressed. His only focus now was to get her away from the house.

This declaration took everyone by surprise. If there was one thing Meredith was not expecting today, minus the heart on her doorstep, it was this. She put her face in her hands, suddenly realizing why he had a bullet in his pocket and why he seemed so mysterious.

"Wait, what? You're an FBI agent?!", Cristina exclaimed, dumbfounded.

"Listen, I don't have time to explain right now. All you need to know is that there's a serial killer on the loose and Meredith is his next target. We need to leave now.", he explained, hoping they'd stop asking questions. He knew it was a lot to take in but there was no time to explain it better. He looked at Meredith who seemed in shock with his revelation.

"Me?! Why me?", she asked, wondering what she posssibly could have done to make someone want to kill her.


	11. I'll protect you

**Disclaimer : I own nothing. Grey's Anatomy belong to Shonda Rhimes.**

**Author's note : Hi!!! Thank you so much as always for reading/reviewing last chapter. I'm really liking where this story is going. :-)**

**Enjoy this one and don't forget to review!!!**

_

* * *

_

_I can't believe this is happening. No, it can't be, _Meredith kept repeating in her head over and over. How could this day have gone so wrong? How could Derek go from a cute neighbour, to a potential serial killer and now, a FBI agent?

She stood near Owen, arms crossed and eyes fixated on Derek. It was as though she was seeing him for the first time.

"Yeah, why would someone want to hurt Meredith?", Owen inquired.

"Does that mean Mark is an FBI agent too?", Izzie added in disbelief.

"Like I said, we don't have time for explanations.", Derek pressed.

He had to call the local police and the Bureau and most importantly, get Meredith far away.

"Listen", he started, turning to Owen. "Take Izzie and Cristina back into the house and lock the door."

"Wait, you said we had to leave! What if crazy guy comes back?", argued Cristina, who had now emerged from behind Owen.

"He won't. Not for now, that 's why I want you to call the local police and I'll ask my partner to come over. He'll explain the whole situation.", he explained." Now, I have to leave with Meredith. She is his main target so I have to take her somewhere safe."

"What about t-the..box.", Izzie asked.

"Leave it where it is. The forensic team will come and take it to their lab.", Derek calmly answered.

_God, why is this happening to me? Why would someone want to kill me?!_

Meredith took a deep breath. She had to calm herself down and do as Derek said. He was the professional; he seemed to know what to do. She had to trust him even though everything about him was a lie.

"Guys, I'll be fine.", Meredith said to her friends. "We'll just do what Derek says and everything's going to be alright."

Owen nodded while Cristina gave her a "don't worry" look. As for Izzie, she still seemed to be suffering from the shock of the situation and tears were threatening to cover her face. She stepped forward and gave Meredith a tight embrace. Hugs were not usually Meredith's favorite thing but, in that moment, she welcomed her friend with open arms.

"Be careful", Izzie whispered in the green-eyed woman's ear before reluctantly letting go.

"I will.", Meredith whispered, her voice laced with sadness and fear. Owen, Cristina and Izzie went back into the house, leaving the box near the steps.

"Let's go.", Derek said, taking out his car keys.

* * *

"Where are we going?", Meredith asked as they walked away. The coldness in her tone did not go unnoticed by Derek. He knew she probably felt betrayed and it killed him to see the way she was looking at him. All he wanted to do was hold her in his arms and tell her everything was going to be okay. However, he knew the chances of her letting him do that ranger from slim to non-existent.

"Somewhere safe.", Derek replied.

He opened the car door for Meredith and closed it as soon as she got inside. He then hopped on the driver seat and took out his cell phone. He dialed Mark's number and waited for an answer while Meredith looked out the window. She felt uncomfortable being near him in a closed space. The smell of his cologne tickled her nostrils and his hand was dangerously close to her thigh.

_"Sloan."_

"Mark, it's me.", Derek said. "Miller went by Meredith's house. I had to blow our cover."

_"He came? Is everyone okay? Is Izzie okay?", _Mark asked, panicked.

"Yeah, he just left them something on the porch. I need you to go there now and wait for the forensic team. Also, could you explain to Yang and Stevens the situation?"

_"Will do. Where are you?"_

"I'm with Meredith. We're on our way to Mrs. Grey's house and then I'll wait for instructions from the Bureau."

_Mrs. Grey?!_ _, _Meredith thought. _He know my mom? How does he know my mom?_

_"Alright, I'll talk to you later", _Mark said before hanging up.

Derek put his cellphone back into his jacket and glanced at Meredith. He'd give anything to brush his lips against hers, just for a minute. He wanted to reassure and to apologize because he could see she was angry. He had to use an enormous amount of willpower not to caress her thigh with his hand, who was so close to her body.

"How do you know my mom?", Meredith inquired as Derek snapped out of his trance and drove away.

"It's a long story.", he sighed, watching the road.

"Then start from the beginning, I have all the time in the world right now.", Meredith said with sarcasm.

_At least she's making jokes, _Derek inwardly shrugged.

"You remember when your mother had a big surgery about two weeks ago? With four other surgeons?", he started.

"Umm....yeah, I remember. The patient died on the table.", Meredith replied, not seeing what this had to do with someone wanting to kill her.

Derek took a left turn and got on the highway.

"Well, the patient's father, Greg Miller, went crazy. He basically blamed your mother and the other surgeons for his daughter death, even though no one was to blame. He also told all the surgeons they would soon experience the pain of losing their child before being escorted by security out of the hospital", he continued.

Meredith frowned. Her mom hadn't told her anything about that. Actually, no one had heard anything about that. Usually, Seattle Grace was the first place to hear about Mercy West's affairs.

"Everyone thought Miller would sue the hospital but that didn't happen. Instead, Maria Esteban, the daughter of the neurosurgeon was threatened, and two days later, attacked. She is still recovering at Mercy West. A week ago, the three other surgeons, including your mother received threats similar to yours."

"Really?"

"Yes. The FBI was called and I was asked to watch over you in case something were to happen.", Derek said while maneuvering the steering wheel. Meredith was dumbfounded.

_How could all of this happen without me knowing about it?_

"Why didn't anyone tell me?!", she exclaimed. She couldn't believe her life was in danger and no one had even bothered to tell her about it.

"Your mother wanted to protect you.", he sighed, hoping she would understand. All he wanted was for her to understand. "We didn't know for sure if Miller was going to go after so I was assigned to protect you. In case something like what happened to night would happen."

Meredith massaged her temple. Too much information in too little time. Ever since Derek had entered her life, it had not been the same. She closed her eyes and tried to will away the "there's a mad man wanting you dead" thoughts. Derek watched intermittently as she slowly drifted off to sleep, with tension lines on her forehead.

"Don't worry Meredith, I'll be here for you. I'll protect you.", he whispered. knowing perfectly she couldn't hear him.


	12. Special night

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. Grey's Anatomy belongs to Shonda Rhimes.**

**Author's note : Hey all! Thanks for all the encouraging reviews; I really appreciate it. :-) I hope you like this one. Tell me what you think!! ;-)**

* * *

After a 30 minute drive, they finally arrived at Ellis Grey's house. Derek glanced at Meredith. She was still peacefully sleeping. He almost didn't want to wake her up but he knew had to. There was no way he'd leave her alone in the car. Carefully, he shook her arm to wake her.

"Meredith.", he whispered. "Wake up."

A few seconds passed before her eyes fluttered open. Meredith seemed confused for a moment but quickly remembered where she was and more importantly, with whom. She awoke to his blue eyes staring at her. Those eyes.....She loved those eyes. She had hoped all of this had been a nightmare but unfortunately for her, it was very real.

"We're there.", Derek announced. He stepped out of the car and went over to her side to open the door. She muttered a thank you and got out as well. Side by side, they walked to the pathway leading to the front door. Meredith pressed the bell and crossed her arms. She could feel Derek's furtive glances towards her.

_I wish he'd stop looking at me with those damn blue eyes._

Derek was standing next to her, trying. He was really trying not to look at her, but he couldn't help it.

_I wish she'd at least look at me. Or smile._

He missed her smile, the way her face radiated when she was happy. Those thoughts were interrupted by Ellis, who had opened the door.

* * *

The older woman looked shocked, then ecstatic to see her daughter.

"Mer!", she exclaimed, tightly embracing her daughter. Meredith smiled brightly and put her arms around her mother's waist. Derek stood in silence, pleased to see mother and daughter uniting.

"Please, come inside.", Ellis offered when she let go. She lead them to the living room where Henry, Ellis' husband was already seated.

"Meredith!", he exclaimed. "We were so worried about you."

He got up and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"Derek.", he nodded, shaking his hand.

Ellis took a seat next to her husband while Derek sat next to Meredith. He wanted to close the rather large space between them, but wisely decided not to.

"Mom, why didn't you tell me?", Meredith pleaded. "We could've face this together."

"Oh, honey.", Ellis sighed. "I wanted to, believe me, but we didn't want to worry you. You just started your second year of residency and you're already stressed as it is."

"We wanted to protect you.", Henry added, tenderly eyeing her.

"What will happen next?", Ellis asked, turning her attention to Derek.

"I'm waiting for a call from the Bureau to tell me what to do. Until then, we're going to stay here.", Derek declared.

"Thank you for everything, Mr. Sheperd.", Ellis said to Derek, giving him a warm smile.

Meredith frowned as soon as the words left her mother's mouth.

"It's my pleasure.", Derek replied, not realizing the change in Meredith's humor.

_Mr. Sheperd?! Derek Scott is not even is real last name?!_

"I'm going to see if there's anything to eat.", nervously said Meredith while she abruptly stood up. She was suddenly overwhelmed with the whole situation and had to get away from him. She quickly left the room wondering if anything Derek had ever told her was true.

The three people left in the room looked at each other, wondering what came over her.

"I'll go help her. ", gently offered Derek as he left to follow her. He had no idea why she seemed suddenly upset but he was going to find out.

* * *

"Call me when you get the lab results.", Mark said to the last remaining forensic technician at Meredith's house. He shut the door behind him and returned to the living room where Izzie, Cristina and Owen were seated. He had explained to them the situation and his real identity. All evening, Mark had tried be as professional as possible, but the sexual tension between Izzie and him was hard to ignore by both parties.

"They're gone.", Mark announced as he sat next to Izzie. She immidiately tensed up and furtively glanced at him.

"What is going to happen to Meredith?", Owen asked, scratching his beard.

"Don't worry, she's in very good hands. Derek is going to take her somewhere safe, until we catch this guy. Miller is getting sloppy so it shouldn't take long.", he answered confidently.

"What about us? Is it coming after us?", Cristina inquired.

"As I said, Meredith is Miller's target right now, so you shouldn't have to worry about him.", Mark replied. "Of course, I could stay the night if it makes you feel any better."

Cristina watched the corners of Izzie's mouth curl into a smile at Mark's offer.

"That would be great.", Izzie casually replied.

"It is settled, then. I guess that means we are going to bed.", Cristina said as she got up.

"Yes, good night.", Owen replied, suppressing a yawn.

"Good night.", Izzie smiled as Mark nodded.

Cristina grabbed Owen's hand and led him upstairs, not without giving Izzie a subtle wink which went completely unnoticed by both men. As soon as the couple were out of sight, a different vibe set in the room. The tension they were feeling only accentuated when they found themselves alone.

"What do we do now?", Mark asked Izzie jokingly, as he took off his leather jacket.

"Well, I have a big bed in my room. I can think of a few fun things we could do in it.", she whispered seductively. While keeping her eyes on him, she took off her pony-holder and let her long blond locks cascade on her shoulders.

"Come closer.", Mark demanded, seemingly delighted by the view. He grabbed her waist with his hands and helped her straddle him. Slowly, Izzie lifted her tank top and took it off of her body. She carelessly tossed the piece of clothing on the floor while Mark enjoyed the blonde's feminine curves. She was attempting to detach her red laced bra when she was suddenly interrupted by Mark's question.

"Are you sure you want to do this?", he asked prudently, his hands placed on her hips.

"More than ever.", she sighed with intensity. She hastily grabbed his face with both hands and pulled him into a passionate kiss to prove how much she wanted him. When she pulled back, she smiled triumphly when she witnessed the satisfaction on his face.

"Are you convinced?", Izzie murmured in his ear. He answered her question by pulling her as close to his groin as possible, so she could feel his erection through his jeans.

"How about we continue this party in that big bed of yours?", he suggested. Izzie bit her lower lip and nodded. They promptly stood and left the room, eager to enjoy the rest of the night.

* * *

Meredith arrived to the kitchen and began pacing in the middle of the room. She was so confused about what was real what wasn't. How could she even like someone so much when she knew practically nothing about him? She was trying really with all the strength she could muster to be angry at him, but she couldn't. Instead of anger, she felt deception knowing everything he told her, even the kiss was a lie. Derek arrived seconds later and stood in the doorway, watching her go from one side of the room to the other. He loved how her cheeks reddened when she was upset.

"Meredith, what's wrong?", he asked worriedly.

"Oh, nothing's wrong, Derek Sheperd.", she let out, exasperated. "Seriously? You even lied about your name?"

"I'm sorry I lied to you.", Derek said, realizing why she was so upset. He could tell he had hurt her, though it was never his intention. "I had to; it's part of my job."

Meredith stopped pacing and scoffed.

"Look, I'm not stupid. You're an FBI agent and you had to hide your identity. I know that, okay? But, why did you have to kiss me, Derek? Why did you have to play with my feelings? Was this part of your cover too? ", she ranted, shooting him a deathly glare.

Derek closed the space between them.

"I kissed you because I like you. My feelings for you are real, Meredith. They're real. Can't you see I'm telling the truth?"

He cupped her face and got so close, she could feel his warm breath blowing the hair on her face.

"I'm falling in love with you, Meredith.", he whispered. He desperately wanted her to know how he truly felt about her.

She closed her eyes, too afraid to look at him. She was scared that if she looked into his eyes and saw the intensity of his affection, she'd instantly give in to the temptation. However, she couldn't because she didn't trust him. She felt like a fool for ever thinking he felt something for her.

"I don't believe you.", she murmured, as she she took his hands off of her face and walked away. Derek stayed in the middle of the room and put his face between his hands. He was going to have to regain her trust, one way or the other.


	13. Change of scenery

**Disclaimer : I own nothing. Grey's Anatomy belongs to Shonda Rhimes.**

**Author's note : Hey everyone! I was on vacation, hence me not updating sooner. Happy Holidays!!!! I hope everyone is having a good time. I can't believe 2009 is ending. :-)**

**Thank you for reading and reviewing last chapter and enjoy this one! :-) **

* * *

Derek stood in the middle of the kitchen upset, vulnerable. Her words still resonated in his mind.

_I don't believe you._

The pain in her eyes was heart-breaking. Never had he wanted her this way. He was here to protect her; to keep this Miler guy from harming her. Instead, he was the one to cause her pain. Had Derek been in a better mood, he might have laughed at the irony of the situation. He took a deep breath and left the room. He had to calm down and start thinking rationally. Right now, a maniac was hunting Meredith, so he had to stay focused. When Derek got back to the living room, he found Meredith and Ellis talking on the couch. He was about to sit down when his phone rang.

"Excuse me for a second.", he said as he walked to the other side of the room to take the call. Meredith watched as Derek took the phone out of his pocket and put it to his ear. When she turrned back to her mother, she could see a mischevious smile on the older woman's face.

"Mom, what is it?", she asked. She knew that smile. That "I'm going to ask you something that's none of my business" smile.

"Is there...something between you too?", Ellis asked nosily.

Meredith looked down shyly. Why was it this particular time her mother had chosen to inquire about her personal life?

"Why would you say that?", Meredith replied innocently.

"I'm your mom, Meredith. I know things.", Ellis shrugged. "Besides, I see the way he looks at you. It's so obvious. You're not being very subtle either."

Meredith's cheeks instantly turned to red. Was it really this obvious?

"It's complicated, mom.", she sighed. "Very complicated."

"Then make it simple, sweetie. Your last boyfriend was......interesting, to say the least. However, this one, he's the right one. I know it.", Ellis assured.

At this moment, Derek walked back to them, his cellphone in his hand.

"It was the Bureau.", he started, as he took a seat in front of them. "My superior said the situation was too dangerous for you Meredith, to stay here. We have to go somewhere safer."

"And w-what about my husband and me? Are we safe?", Ellis stuttered, visibly upset at the words Derek had said. Meredith sat in silence, trying to process all of this information. Her life had changed so much in so little time. How did she go from a promising surgical resident to a deviant's target?

"Yes, you are safe. Miller isn't after you, he's after Meredith. You'll have a agent with you in the mansion, but there's no need to worry.", he calmly replied.

"My daughter is in danger; I can't not worry.", she replied, squeezing Meredith's hand.

"I know and I will do everything in my power to protect her.", Derek promised. "I'm just going to call my partner, and then we will have to go.", he declared as he stood up. Derek took out his cellphone for the second time and dialed Mark's number as he walked away from the two women.

* * *

"Why do you like me?", Mark inquired, caressing Izzie's blond locks. They were laying on her bed, only covered by a white sheet. Clothes had been discarded all over the floor and the moonlight was beaming through the windows.

"Let's see.", Izzie giggled, comfortably snuggled against his chest. "You're really hot, nice, and good at lovemaking."

Mark let out a hearty laugh.

"Wait, that's it?". he said, feigining indignation.

"Well, we haven't known each other for long now, have we? I'm just getting to know you.", she replied, making imaginary circles on his arm.

"Fair enough.", he chuckled.

"Seriously though.", she said as she looked up to meet his gaze. "I like you because you're a good man. You save people's lives."

"Just like you, doctor.", he responded with a sly smile.

This candid exchange was interrupted by the buzzing sound of Mark' cellphone. He picked it up from the nightstand and glanced at the caller ID.

"That's Derek.", he stated.

* * *

"Sheperd, hey.", Mark answered, the phone to his ear. He sat up, waiting for Derek to speak.

"Mark, the Bureau called.", Derek said. "I have to take Meredith to another location. I'll text you the address later."

"Alright."

"Everything good at Meredith's?", Derek asked.

"Yeah, everything's fine. I decided to stay the night, just in case.", Mark shrugged, which made Izzie giggle.

"Right.", Derek replied in an amused tone. The giggle hadn't gone unnoticed by him. "Talk to you later."

"Okay.", Mark replied before hanging up.

* * *

Derek got back to Meredith and Ellis.

"It's time to say goodbye. I'll wait for you out front.", he said. "Ellis, my partner will keep you informed on the progress we're making on the case."

With that said, he left the room, giving the two women some privacy to say goodbye.

Meredith turned to her mother, annoyed that tears had already made their way to her eyes.

"It'll be okay, baby.", Ellis whispered as she opened her arms. Meredith hugged her mother, trying to hold back the tears.

"I love you, mom."

"I love you too, sweetie. Be careful and listen to Derek, okay?"

"Okay.", Meredith smiled.

She let go of her mom and got up. Meredith gave her one last look, then turned around and walked away.

* * *

Izzie sat up next to Mark, as he put the phone back on the nightstand. Worry was displayed all over her face.

"What is it, sweetness?", Mark asked, seeing the expression on her face. He pulled her chin up, waiting for her reply.

"Are you sure she's in good hands with Derek?"

"Meredith? Of course.", he replied with confidence. Seeing that his answer didn't give her piece of mind, he continued.

"Look, I've known Derek since kindergarten. He is absolutely trustworthy and competent. Believe me, your friend is with the best FBI agent I know."

Izzie's mouth slowly curled up into a smile.

"Thanks, I needed that.", she replied. She placed a soft kiss on his lips and put her head back on his chest.

* * *

When Meredith arrived to the front door, she found Derek leaning on a wall, waiting for her.

"Are you ready?", he asked, noticing the sadness on her face.

"Yes, let's go.", she quickly answered, avoiding his gaze.

Derek opened the door and motioned for her to go first. He closd the door and followed her outside. As they sat in the car, about to go, Meredith couldn't help but feel the awkwardness of the situation. Just like earlier, being so close to him in such tiny space was uncomfortable. Especially after the conversation they'd had in the kitchen. she wondered how long they were going to have to stay in the car together.

"Where are we going?", she asked, as he put the key in the ignition and started the car.

"I'm taking us to a cabin, right outside of Seattle. We will probably stay there a day or two before I get other instructions.", Derek answered, his eyes on the road. This was the perfect opportunity for him to gain back her trust. He had to prove to her his feelings were real. He didn't know how, but he was dead set on succeeding.

_Derek and me, alone in a cabin? That's going to be interesting, to say the least._

"I'm going to need clothes, you know.", Meredith remarked. The only items she had with her were the clothes on her back and her purse.

"We'll buy some on the way. It wouldn't be safe for you to go back home.", he replied.

Meredith sighed and turned to watch the road. Meredith suddenly found it odd that the thing she was the most preoccupied about was her relationship with Derek, and not Miller coming after her. Wheither or not she wanted to admit it, she subconsciously felt safe with Derek, even though she didn't fully trust him. It was all in his eyes.


	14. Adjustments

**Disclaimer : I own nothing. Grey's Anatomy belongs to Shonda Rhimes.**

**Author's note : Hi readers! Thank you for reading/reviewing last chapter. This chapter is a little shorter than the others. Enjoy this one and leave a review! :-)**

* * *

Hands still on the wheel, he glanced at the clock.

_12h34_

They had been in the car for thirty-five minutes; thirty-five long minutes. It had felt like two hours for him as the conversation wasn't exactly flowing.

"We're almost there.", Derek stated, as he changed lanes.

"Good.", Meredith replied, as she watched him rub his eye.

"Are you okay?", she asked, taking notice of how tired he looked.

"I'm fine.", he quickly replied, surprised she was concerned with his well-being. "Just a little tired, that's all."

The truth is, he was more just tired. This case was taking its toll on him. He had been working so much, trying to find Miller before he could hurt Meredith. He couldn't even remember the last time he had had a full night of sleep. After a right turn, they exited the highway and got on a small lonely road. Meredith looked out the window. There were no other cars, no houses and no street signs. It was definitely a sight one could expect from a horror movie. After a few more miles, the road turned into a hill which drove them right into the woods.

_Where the hell is this cabin located?!, _Meredith thought as she slowly saw all signs of civilisation disappear. After five minutes and countless trees, they finally reached the top of the hill and the small chalet appeared before their eyes. When they finally reached their destination, Derek turn off the engine and took the key out of the ignition.

"We're here.", he smiled, glancing at her. She looked just as tired as he was.

"Great.", she flatly replied. Meredith watched his smile fade. She didn't realize how cold her voice might have sounded to him. It's not that she was mad at him; she was just hurt about the whole situation and was putting up this front in order to distance herself from him. At this moment, Meredith decided that if she wasn't going to completely trust him, she at least was going to be cordial. They were going to spend a lot of time together and being cold to him was frankly exhausting.

They got out of the car, eager to stretch. Meredith looked around her. It was all trees and bushes.

"We really are in the middle of nowhere.", she muttered.

Derek led the way to the entrance. He opened the door and stepped aside to let Meredith in. When he turned the light on, Meredith stood in shock.

"Whoa.", she wondered out loud. She really didn't expect to see a flat screen television, a sound system and beauiful leather couches. The outside of the cabin most definitely did not match the inside. She was not expecting for it to be so modern. Derek chuckled as he observed her reaction; the same one he'd had when he first visited the place. While she visited the other rooms, Derek made sure to lock all the doors and windows. He had to make sure everything was safe. When Derek came back to the living room, he found Meredith looking outside the window. He approached and stood next to her, making her aware of his presence. She glanced him, noticing he had taken off his jacket and was now wearing a white t-shirt and jeans. Meredith quickly looked away before her mind could wander in dangerous paths.

"Is this your cabin?", she asked, staring into the woods.

"N-no, it belongs to the FBI.", he stuttered.

_God Derek, don't so nervous!_

He could feel his heart beating faster and stronger. She was standing so close to him, he could smell the conditioner in her hair. When she was near him, he couldn't think. He couldn't focus on anything other than the softness of her skin or what her lips might taste like at this very moment.

Derek cleared his throat and distanced himself from her.

"Maybe we should get some sleep.", he suggested, standing near the couch."It's been a long day."

Meredith turned around to face him, unaware of his internal conflict.

"You're right.", she agreed. "But there's only one bedroom."

_Well, the bed is big enough for both of us, don't you think?, _Derek instantly thought. Of course, he would never say that to her. After all, Derek Sheperd was a respectable man. He knew that suggestion was way out of line, though he couldn't help but imagine all the amazing thing they could do in that bed. Instead, he replied to her in a more appropriate matter.

"Yes, I know. You can take the bedroom, and I'll sleep on the couch."

Meredith nodded and walked towards the hallway leading to the bedroom, grabbing her purse on a coffee table in the process.

* * *

Derek sat on the couch and sighed. Things were so complicated. Without any tangible leads, his team and him had no idea where Miller was and what he was planning. Getting away from the city was good idea, but it was only temporary. They couldn't hide out here forever. He put his face between his hands, pensive. For the first time in his career, Derek was genuinely scared. He was afraid of what would happen if Miller hurt Meredith or worse, if he killed her. Usually, Derek was confident in his ability to protect and serve. But this case was different. The woman he cared about was in danger, and he had no idea where or when Greg Miller would strike.

_I'll call Mark tommorow, maybe there are new developments on the case._

He stood up and rid himself his t-shirt, which he neatly folded and placed at the end of the couch. He was about to take off his jeans when he saw Meredith standing in front of him.

* * *

Meredith arrived to the bedroom and turned the light on. She closed the door and hung up her purse on the doorknob.

_What a long day it's been_, she thought, letting out a yawn. This whirlwind of emotions she had been through today had completely wiped her out. Meredith sat on the edge of the bed and took off her shoes. When she was done, she unbuttoned her shirt and took off her bra, leaving her in a white tank-top. Suddenly, she stopped undressing, as she had just realized something.

_How is Derek going to sleep without a pillow and covers?_

He was gracious enough to leave her the bedroom. The least she could do was help make it more comfortable for him. She took on of the two pillows on the bed and put it under her arm. Then, she opened the closet door and search inside for another cover. When she found what she was looking for, she left the room with the items and went to the living room. When she arrived, she found Derek shirtless, about to undo his jeans.

* * *

.


	15. Breaking down the wall

**Disclaimer : I own nothing. Grey's Anatomy belongs to Shonda Rhimes.**

**Author's note : Hi guys! Thank you for being so patient. I had to take a little break because of what's going on with Haiti. I was worried sick over some family members and I just didn't think of updating. What a tragedy this earthquake is! :-(**

**I promise more action in the chapters to come (which are coming soon!) :-)**

**Enjoy this one and don't forget to leave a review.**

**

* * *

**

Meredith sucked in her breath. How was she supposed to keep her distance from him when he looked so good? He stood before her shirtless, his belt unbuckled and jeans unzipped, ready to be taken off.

"Umm...I-I brought this for you. I thought you might need those.", she said as she handed him the pillow and the covers. Derek took them from her arms and posed the items behind him, on the couch. When he turned back to face her, he noticed she wasn't wearing a bra. He forced himself not to look at her breasts, and focus on her eyes.

"Thank you.", he said with a bright smile.

_She cares about me_, he thought. Why else would she do this for him? Derek saw this moment as a crack in the wall; an opening to her heart.

_If only she would let herself trust me._

"You're welcome.", she replied, looking down. She didn't want him to see her reddened cheeks.

"Is the r-room okay?", Derek asked, trying to start a conversation. He didn't want her to go just yet, though he knew they had to go to sleep. What Derek wanted the most was for her to stay with him all night to talk and connect. He wanted to Meredith drop her barriers and let herself be with him, but Derek had to be realistic. It wasn't going to happen overnight.

_One step at a time, Derek. She'll come around._

"It's fine.", she simply replied, looking back up to him. She took one subtle look at his chiseled chest, and knew she had to go. Now. Meredith wasn't sure if she could trust herself around him, looking like that.

"Good night, Derek."

She turned around and quickly walked away, eager to return to her room. Derek sighed as he watched her disappear. This woman was driving him crazy with the mixed signals. One minute she was cold and distant, and the next, she was doing something nice for him.

* * *

Meredith slowly opened her eyes, and took a look at her surroundings. She quickly sat up in her bed, not instantly recognizing where she was. It only took a second for her to remind herself of where she was, and more importantly with whom.

_I can't believe I'm alone with Derek in an isolated cabin!_

She brought her face to her hands and sighed, remembering the events of last night. Seeing Derek shirtless had done nothing to help her sleep. It was actually quite the opposite. Meredith had spent most of the night thinking about him, their relationship and how sexy he had looked in his unbuttoned jeans. Now, she had to get up and face him. She took a deep breath and got out of bed. The clothes she had taken off the night before were exactly were she found them, at the end of the bed. She quickly got dressed and went to the bathroom. Having forgotten her brush, she tried as best as she could to detangle her hair and look presentable. When she was done, Meredith glanced at her reflection in the mirror and nodded in approval. When she opened the door to and left her room, the delicious smell of eggs and bacon greeted her. She followed the scent to the kitchen, where she found Derek foxing two plates on the table.

_That's a sight I could definitely get used to._

Meredith quickly brushed off that thought as she entered the kitchen.

"Good morning.", she said, as she took a seat in front of a plate.

"Good morning, Meredith. Did you sleep well?", Derek asked.

He sat down in front of her and poured her coffee in a cup.

"I slept fine.", she answered. "You?"

"Same.", he replied.

Meredith stared hungrily at her plate. Everything looked so delicious. She had no idea Derek could cook this way.

"Thank you for the breakfast.", she said, looking down on her plate. Derek smiled in satisfaction. His mother had always told that food was often the way to win a woman's heart. He was hoping she was right in that case.

"After breakfast, we'll go in town and buy some clothes, okay?", Derek announced.

"Fine.", Meredith replied, While they ate, Derek glanced at her at times, wondering what she was thinking of. This woman was a mystery to him an he was decided on uncovering her. He always wanted to know what she was thinking, what she feeling. Yes, Derek Sheperd was indeed falling in live and fast. Lost in his thoughts, he didn't notice his cellphone buzzing at first. It,s only after a few vibrations that he took it out of his pockets and looked at the caller I..

"It's Mark.", he said. "I'll be right back."

Meredith nodded and watched him leave the room.

* * *

When Izzie opened her eyes, she saw Mark sitting at the edge of her bed, putting his shoes on. She yawned and sat up, making him aware that she was awake.

"Good morning, sweetness.", he said as he planted a kiss on her lips.

"Good morning.", she replied. "You're leaving?"

"Yes.", he answered. "I have to go work on the investigation; we have some leads to check out."

"Do you know how Meredith is doing? Is she okay?", Izzie asked, worry taking over her face.

"She is with Derek, so I can guarantee you that she's safe.", he said, caressing her face. "Don't worry."

Izzie's smile slightly faded, which made Mark's smile grow wider. He took her hand and kissed it.

"I have a great time last time. A really great time.", he said, looking right into her eyes.

"Me too.", she whispered.

"When will I see you again, Izzie Stevens?", Mark inquired.

"I'll call you later, okay?"

"Fine, I will be waiting for your call.", he said, He caressed her face and kissed her again. She giggled and cupped his face.

"I'll talk to you later, just like you promised.", Mark said mischievously, as he got up and grabbed his jacket.

"I didn't promise anything!", Izzie retorked, with an ear-to-ear smile.

She watched as Mark gave her a wink and walked out of her room. When Mark reached his car, he took out his cellphone and dialed Derek's number.

* * *

"Mark, what's up?", Derek asked as he walked to the living room. He sat on the couch where he had slept.

"Nothing much. I'm heading over to the office. We might have some leads. Someone matching Miller's description has been spotted near Meredith's house. ", Mark answered, toying with his car keys.

"Send me the report; I'll look at it on my laptop."

"Sure thing. How is it going with Meredith by the way?", Mark asked, amused.

"It's going well, not great, but well. At least she talks to me.", Derek said with a hint of hope.

"I guess it's a start. She doesn't completely hate you.", Mark said.

"Meredith likes me. She's just scared to admit it.", Derek said, keeping his voice low so she wouldn't hear him.

"Yeah, yeah, Sheperd.", Mark chuckled. "I'll keep you updated."

"Thanks.", Derek replied before hanging up.


	16. Author's note

Hi everyone!

Sorry for being gone so long. Unfortunately, I will not be continuing this story. With my college work and my job, I simply don't have the time. I would either give crappy chapters or update every 2 months. If anyone would like to continue the story, send me a private message and I will gladly give it over.

I'm really sorry and I hope you understand,

JungleDrum.


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